Red
by bnr848
Summary: Sometimes, things are not as they appear. Serendipity, kismet, when the stars conspire and two people are destined to meet. Alexis Castle was in line for a collision with fate.


Red By Octavius Dupin

 **Disclaimer: The publicly recognized characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plots are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Summary:**

 _Sometimes, things are not as they appear. Serendipity, kismet, when the stars conspire and two people are destined to meet. Alexis Castle was in line for a collision with fate._

CHAPTER 1

He should stay back, just a few steps behind her. The crowd made it easy for him to blend in, but impossible for him to lose sight of her long, auburn hair. Three days, for three days he had been "shadowing" her; although had she known, it would now be bordering on stalking. Today he had finally spotted her at her starting point, the Low Library at Columbia University; not only was she breathtakingly beautiful, but undoubtedly smart as a whip. Her route had been consistent, except for that first day. Why was she Time Square, and what was she doing with sleazeball Nick Randall? To date there had only been that one meet, but "Red" was now part of the group, so he needed to keep following her. Questions needed to be answered, blanks filled in. Who was she and how did she fit in with Randall? One more day, he had promised himself one more day and he would identify her, put a name to the face and an end to his obsession.

She loved the fall, nothing like the crisp cold wind, brisk enough to make its presence known, but not sharp enough to bite into your face. The trip from Columbia to the loft was long enough to allow her time to unwind, yet short enough not to make it a commuting hell. She was in her final year at Columbia, and the thought of what was yet to come occupied most of her travel time. Columbia, her second choice, but yet her finest decision. Stanford now seemed like such a wrong hole for her square peg, Columbia was home. She exited the subway station, clearing her head of deep thoughts and started walking the five blocks towards home. Bookbag in hand, earbuds in place, she hummed along to Ed Sheeran's, Thinking Out Loud "… _hum mm, people fall in love in mysterious ways….hum mm_." She loved New York, she could burst out in song on this busy sidewalk and no one would blink an eye; "C'est la vie" (that's life) may be a French phrase but it was New York to the core.

As she headed towards home, a shiver flowed through her, she turned ever so slightly and ceased all humming. She could have sworn she felt someone watching her. He quickly ducked behind a pillar and prayed he had not been seen, he could not afford a public spectacle with a young woman screaming that a pervert was following her. One day, just one more day. Perhaps she was being hyper vigilant, ever since Paris paranoia reared its ugly head ever so frequently. She promised she would be careful and mindful of her surroundings, but she refused to live in fear. She would live her life on her terms, and Paris could not rob her of that; no one would.

He still hadn't been able to find which apartment she entered, that was the problem with these fancy buildings, uppity doormen and tight security. The doorman always greeted her, but he could not get close enough to hear her name, she still remained "Red." Tomorrow, tomorrow he would find out all he needed to know. Now he had to make a bee line for the subway, or spring for a cab. He needed to make it to the Bronx, he could not afford to be late yet again; a cab it was.

Hailing a cab in this neighborhood, looking like something the cat refused to drag in was no easy task, but luck was on his side and it was a short wait. "Fordham" he barked, as he entered the cab, "and make the lights, I'm late!" Twenty-eight minutes and thirty bucks later, he was skidding into a seat at his Criminal Law lecture, looking more like a client than an aspiring lawyer. He took out his iPhone, hit record and tilted back, never so grateful to be in a lecture hall with 200 bodies, making it possible to blend and disappear, this was going to be a long night.

"I'm home" she called out as she burst through the door. "Kate, is anyone here?" Just as she dropped her bag and walked towards the kitchen, she heard Kate respond from the bedroom. She poured herself a glass of fresh lemonade and waited for Kate, debating whether or not to discuss her feeling of being watched. Unlike her father, she could talk to Kate about Paris, Paris was a nightmare Kate could unravel into logic and reason. Paris, however, was a nightmare she shared with her father and that nightmare was a bogeyman for them both. She opted to throw caution to the wind and avoid worrying everyone needlessly; she would wait one day, one more day and see what happened. After all, she was sure it was nothing. She placed the glass in the sink and walked towards her dad's office, calling out to Kate yet again.

Her dad had been on a book tour for 3 weeks, and she and Kate were overdosing on, on chick flicks, gossip and girl's night out. Tonight, she, Kate, Lanie, and Paige were on for the premiere of "Magic Mike XXL" one last girl's super night before her dad returned.

She liked Kate, no, she loved Kate. Along the way, Kate had helped her grow and mature into an independent and confident woman. Kate had also been responsible for her dad growing up, if ever so slightly. She had watched them fall in love and had witnessed them travel that road through very difficult and trying times. It wasn't always easy nor pretty, but through it all they had both remain committed to each other. Now they were family.

Home, he was so tired he debated showering, but it was a debate he himself could not lose. It had been two days since his last shower, and four days since he'd shaved; even he knew there were limits. Not since he was 11 years old and at camp had be gone so long without a shower. His mother would be appalled.

CHAPTER 2

The buzzing from her alarm woke her. They had indeed had a "girls, super night." After the movie, Lanie had voted to continue the party at HunkOMania, a male strip club, but both she and Kate had quickly vetoed that idea. There were certain things she was not prepared to share with Kate, and an evening at a male strip club ranked top among them. They elected to go to Gardenia, a new Mediterranean-Latin American place in the West Village. The food was amazing and the wine phenomenal. There were advantages to having a cool stepmother and being of legal drinking age. Kate had opted for reserving a towncar and had picked up and delivered everyone home safely. When your stepmother is a police captain, drinking and even thinking of driving paramount's to a capital offense. The drinking had been moderate, but none the less they had managed to put away three bottles of expensive French wine. They had thoroughly enjoyed Kate's wine selection, for Kate, as it turned out was quite an oenophile.

Good God, make it stop! He had had perhaps four hours of sleep, and the stupid iPhone tone of his alarm clock setting was enough to push him over the edge. He made it home after the two-hour lecture class, managed to shower and eat something he could not even identify. He caught up on his notes, documenting all the information on redhead and then tossed and turned; sleep had not come easy.

Alexis showered and dressed, making it downstairs just in time to kiss Kate goodbye. She grabbed a muffin, and rushed off. She hated to be late for class and that creepy "someone's watching me" feeling had hit her the minute she set foot on the sidewalk. She looked around and did not recognize anyone; she asked the doorman to get her a cab and jumped in.

Dammit, dammit, and dammit! He'd rushed over to tail her on the subway ride and had just watched her jump into a cab. He could take an educated guess and head to Columbia, but then again, what if she was meeting up with Randall? He was exhausted. He opted to head towards his office, picking up her trail later in the day. He contacted Vincent, who was now tailing Randall and had him watch out for any female companion, especially a tall redhead.

He had not submitted his report on the surveillance. He still needed to identify the mysterious redhead. He kept telling himself he wanted to have the full story, but now he was running out of time. He had given himself a deadline, today, today was the day; but today had 24 hours and it was only nine-thirty in the morning.

With no new homicides and her squad catching up on paperwork, Kate walked around the precinct making sure she was seen. She liked to keep her people on their toes, and although she did not answer to "Sir" and had an open door policy, she had learned a lot from Captain "Iron" Gates. When she returned to her office she placed a call to One Police Plaza to talk to, now Deputy Commissioner Gates. She had asked Kate to keep in touch and Kate had always felt grateful to have an ally at One PP. The conversation was always short put pleasant. Kate had decided to take advantage of the lull in murder and head home early, it was just past noon, so she would grab something to eat and call it a day. Castle would be back in three days and murders would pick-up, she wanted to take some time to herself.

Lunch was "al fresco" she had grabbed a salad and an iced tea and headed towards Columbia's South Field to meet up with Zoey, Eli and Carlos. Their paper was due in a week and they need to make revisions. They had two hours before class, and luckily her class was in the Pulitzer Building right across the field.

 _Wall Street-Pitfalls and Success_ the paper's subject matter had turned out to be a challenge. But, Eli and Carlos had hit the jackpot and managed to get a ten minutes interview with Michael Milken while he was on a layover at La Guardia. Milken who had served jail time for racketeering, securities fraud and other charges was at one time famous for developing the high-yield bond market. They had also garnered an interview with a Huffington Post investigative reporter who was currently working on a Wall Street corruption piece. She and Zoey had drawn the short straw and were to meet with Nick Randall, and up and coming Wall Street whiz kid. Zoey bailed at the last minute leaving Alexis to interview him alone. He turned out to be no kid, and was a slimy, grabby, sycophant who provided nothing but self-serving information. She had met him at Starbucks, just off 47th and Broadway, near Time Square, he had gotten way too friendly, asking if she _"wanted to meet later at a quieter place."_ She had asked few questions, thanked him for his time and kept it short. Randall had pulled out his business card and made a point to write his number on the back, informing her it was his "private number." She'd made a quick exit, making sure to head in whatever direction Randall was not. Once out of sight, she deposited the business card in its rightful place, the nearest trash can.

He spotted her immediately, he had gone to the Columbia Campus in hopes of picking up her trail by the subway stop. It was still early and he decided to walk by the Greene Law Building, then down along College Walk towards Broadway. As he walked past Hamilton and the campus opened up into green space, there she was. She was fussing and talking among a small group, papers in one hand, fork stabbing at a salad in the other. It was lunch time, and people milled about, so he managed to stake out a spot on the southwest corner of the Hamilton Building which provided a clear view of "Red" and her co-horst. The discussion seemed lively and "Red" appeared to be in control; somehow he expected nothing less.

A few minutes later he watched as she headed west across the field. He followed at a safe distance, waiting for a small crowd that was approaching, so he could blend in. He saw her enter the journalism building and walk into a lecture hall. He'd wait.

She felt it the minute she got up and started walking towards Pulitzer, that creepy feeling of someone watching. She and Carlos had the same class, so she was not alone. She was surrounded by people, she was on a college campus, she was safe, yet something felt off. Once inside the lecture hall, she pulled out her phone and called Kate. It was probably nothing, but she could no longer ignore that six sense.

Kate answer on the second ring. Why would Alexis be calling her, mid-day? "Hey Lex, what's up? Everything okay?" Kate could tell something was wrong, Alexis could never hide anything from her. The minute she opened her mouth, her voice gave her away. "What's wrong sweetie?" Panic mode creeped in, Kate's reassuring voice made her feel vulnerable. "I think I'm being followed. I thought someone was following me yesterday, but I thought I was being paranoid, but now I was on the South Field with friends and I swear Kate, someone was watching me. I'm sorry, I know it's probably nothing and my imagination is getting the best of me, but it's creepy and... do you think you can come pick me up after class?"

Kate was out the door, motioning for Ryan and Esposito as she ran towards the stairs. She asked Alexis where she was on campus and if she felt it was a safe place, Alexis advised she was in her communications class in the Pulitzer Building and she felt safe. Kate told her to stay put, keep her phone on vibrate, she was on her way. Alexis knew Kate and the cavalry, in the form of Ryan and Esposito would soon be there.

Ryan and Esposito ran after Kate, wondering what had set her off. She was the Captain, she didn't run, bat-out-of-hell down the stairs unless the building was on fire! "Yo Beckett, Beckett!" they both shouted, "What's going on? Where's the fire?" asked Esposito. "It's Alexis" she replied, half out of breath, as she took two steps at a time. "We'll take our car, we're parked out front!" Esposito jumped in the driver's side, Kate jumped in the passenger side and Ryan was relegated to the back seat. "Where to boss?" "Columbia, Broadway and 116th, and Espo…" "I know, I know, balls to the wall" replied Esposito. It took them seventeen minutes to make it to Broadway and 120th. Alexis was still in class and if she was being followed, they wanted to nab the creep red handed.

He knew she'd probably be heading home after this class, so he made his way to Broadway and the subway entrance. He would wait for her there. He had managed to get a good picture of her while she sat on the field, and had sent it off to Santos, to run against facial recognition. He should have her i.d.'ed before she made it out of class. One way or another he would be talking to "Red" before the end of the day.

They parked one block north of 116th. Ryan would walk to the Pulitzer building, wait on Alexis and follow her out, Espo would be waiting on the southwest corner of Dodge and Kate on the northwest corner. If anyone was following Alexis, they would corner him and take him down. It would not be pretty, and Espo was counting on some resistance.

Once in position Kate texted Alexis. "Alexis, we're here. Ryan is outside your class." Alexis allowed herself to breath, she knew everything would be okay now. Kate instructed Alexis, once her class was over to exit towards the subway entrance on 116th and Broadway and to keep walking past the entrance and continue north towards 120th. Alexis was to keep walking, not turn around or acknowledge anyone until she saw Kate. Her heart raced as she started walking out the door. She quick stepped it and onto 116th towards Broadway and the subway entrance.

He spotted her the minute she stepped onto the sidewalk; that red hair was hard to miss. He had been sipping on a Snapple waiting for Santos to come through with an i.d., eyeing the building, waiting for her to exit. Either way it had been a waiting game.

Alexis spotted Ryan as she hit the sidewalk. She swung her bookbag over one shoulder, placed her earbuds in her ears, but unlike other days, no music played. She continued to walk as instructed. Esposito watched as both Alexis and Ryan crossed onto the north side of 116th. Just then Espo spotted him, an unassuming looking creep with a Snapple in one hand, ogling Alexis. He had stepped right behind her, subtle, but way too obvious to a trained professional.

"Santos, where are you buddy, call me," he mumbled to himself. Once inside the subway station he would be out of reach; reception was little to none, and none was always the winner. He mixed with the crowd, getting closer to her, he would swear he could smell her perfume. Vanilla, for God's sake, she smelled like vanilla. Where was she going? He was so distracted, he almost missed her walk right past the subway entrance. Perhaps she was meeting up with her friends again? A boyfriend? Another class? Randall! Well, he'd just have to find out, and besides, it'd give him time to hear from Santos. This was working out just fine.

As she approached the north corner of Dodge, Alexis caught a glimpse of Kate and had to restrain herself from running right into her arms. As she got closer, she heard Kate call to her, and the urge overtook her and she propelled herself into Kate's arms. "What the hell…." It was the last clear though he had, "Red" was running towards a woman, and he's being hurled towards the sidewalk, face first. This was going to hurt.

He appeared distracted as Alexis ran towards Kate, so Ryan and Esposito had made their move; the takedown was easier than they had hoped. "NYPD, don't move, dirt bag!" yelled Ryan. "Oh, no, I want you to move, go ahead, move!" barked Espo. He was not going to move!

One minute he's sipping Snapple, smelling vanilla, the next minute he is being launched, head first onto the concrete sidewalk, on top of shattered shards of glass from his smashed Snapple bottle. It was going to be a long and painful night. Just then his phone rang, dollars to donuts it was Santos. Hell of a lot of good it did him now.

CHAPTER 3

The ruckus had summoned over several campus security officers along with area NYPD patrol units. Espo and Ryan had quickly cuffed and patted down their suspect, finding only a wallet and a cellphone. Captain Beckett had then instructed a patrol unit to transport the suspect to the 12th Precinct. This creep was hers!

It hit Kate like a ton of bricks, emotions overwhelmed her like never before. She loved Alexis, but for the first time ever she felt like a mama bear protecting her cub. Fear, anger, relief all soared in her at once. Who was this guy and why had he been following Alexis? Little did this creep know he had picked on the wrong girl. Five minutes, all she needed was five minutes with him in interrogation; she would get to the bottom of this.

Espo walked the suspect into the interrogation room and, not so gently, shoved him in. "Okay creepazoid, I'm going to release your handcuffs, and cuff one hand to the table, if you as much as twitch, it will not end well. Do you understand?" This cop was not the one he wanted to explain anything to. He nodded and complied. "Red" had burned him, he thought he was so smooth, and BAM, at the last minute he'd been burned, manhandled, flipped like a pancake and arrested. What else could possibly go wrong?

"Good afternoon Mr. Davis, and by the way, I know that's not your real name. Helen Keller could spot that driver's license as a fake. My name is Captain Beckett, and the girl you've been following? She's my daughter, so things are not looking good for you." While Beckett zoned in on the fake Davis, Ryan went to talk to Alexis.

"Hey, Alexis, how you holding up?" "I'm just glad it's over. Do you know why he's following me?" "Beckett is questioning him now, no doubt she'll get to the bottom of it." Ryan asked Alexis to write down when and where she had seen the suspect and anything else she could remember. Alexis now remembered seeing the same guy on the subway a few days back. He was grubbier and not clean shaven, but she had no doubt it was him. Then she remembered, Randall, he was outside of Starbucks when she met Randall! This creep had been following her for God knows how long! Seriously, how could she have been that clueless?

"You're right Captain Beckett that is a fraudulent driver's license." She placed his wallet, phone and the driver's license on the table, waiting for him to continue. Just then his phone rang; Beckett hit the speaker button, "Dude, abort, abort!" is all he heard Santos scream. "Your, so called target is Alexis Castle, her father is THE Richard Castle and he's married to the Captain of the NYPD's 12th Precinct, she runs the city's kick ass homicide unit. Whatever you think you got, you don't! Ferguson is gonna kill you if this thing goes south. ABORT! Dude, that fine piece of ass is not worth the case!" Just then his forehead hit the table with a loud thud, as his body submitted in total surrender.

"Well Mr. Davis, it appears you have quite a story. Care to share?" By the way, I'm in no hurry, my husband won't be home until Sunday and I'm sure we can lose you and your paperwork for a few days. He'll really enjoy how you terrorized his daughter and let's not forget the, fine piece of ass, comment." Still with his forehead on the table, the sigh he released could be heard outside the box - game, set, and match, he was done.

"Captain, allow me to apologize", he managed to say, as he straighten himself up and looked right into her eyes. "Save it. Now start talking!" growled Beckett. My name is Benjamin, Benjamin Taylor, and I'm an Investigator for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); at least I was. I think my supervisor may have different plans for me after this.

Beckett looked at the young man seated in front of her and exited the box. Alexis had managed to ruin an SEC investigation! What did they think Alexis was involved in? Then she remembered the frantic call from Alexis, and all of a sudden she didn't care about the SEC or any investigation. Why would the SEC be following Alexis? Kate walked back inside and stared down at Benjamin. "I don't know what you guys have going, but that does not explain why you would be tailing Alexis Castle. If, in fact you are who you say you are, you have a lot of explaining to do. So, while I go and verify your little story and your identity, I suggest you get your ducks in a row." Kate looked at Benjamin, and walked out.

After several phone calls, Kate made contact with Assistant Section Chief Arnold Ferguson who had reluctantly confirmed Benjamin's identity and classification. Ferguson was en route, and requested, as a professional courtesy, his investigator not be questioned further until his arrival, Kate had agreed. While they waited, Kate, Espo and Ryan sat with Alexis trying to figure out how she fit into this SEC puzzle. They ran the names of everyone Alexis had seen that week and dug into any possible connection. Alexis had explained she had spent most of the week working on a paper with several classmates and had only been out once, with Kate, Lanie, and Paige.

The list of potential connections to the SEC was short, but the fact the paper involved finance and, a former convicted felon was not missed on the detectives. Ryan deduced that although Alexis herself, had never met with Milken, he could be the possible connection. The Huffington Post reporter's information was public record or protected sources which had not been shared with the students, so the reporter could be safely eliminated. Then there was Nicholas Randall. According to Alexis, he had been the only interview that she had conducted. Alexis added, Randall had turned out to be a bust, and he was, in her words, a "slimy, douche." The team decided Randall seemed to be the best choice of a possible SEC target, since he was the only direct linked to Alexis.

Arnold Ferguson walked into the 12th Precinct a man on a mission. His gait announced a confidence and bravado that made him appear larger than his 5'5" stature; by all accounts Ferguson was not a happy man. "I'm looking for a Captain Beckett?" he bellowed to no one in particular. Beckett, exiting the breakroom, coffee in hand, approached him. Ferguson took one look at her, and with half a smile asked, "Captain Beckett?" They shook hands and Beckett escorted him to her office. "It appears we have a situation" he calmly added as he sat. Beckett was in no mood for his federal bullshit banter. The feds were notorious for not sharing information, sweeping in and pushing local law enforcement off any case they felt was theirs. This was not going to happen, not if it involved Alexis.

"Captain," started Ferguson, "Allow me to apologize for my incompetent staff, and believe me when I tell you, _heads will roll_! I promise you this is not the way we operate, and your cooperation will be duly noted. I personally will contact the Police Commissioner and express our appreciation for the NYPD's professionalism and discretion." Beckett smirked as Ferguson continued to lay it on thick. "Mr. Ferguson, I don't know who you think you're dealing with, but this is not my first rodeo. You are conducting surveillance on our streets, of our residents, in very public places and you don't have the common courtesy to advice the NYPD, so forgive me when I say, I don't care who you call." Beckett stood up catching Ferguson off guard and walked towards the door announcing, "You asked I wait to question your investigator, well, I waited. Now, you're more than welcome to sit in." Ferguson jumped out of his seat, catching up to Beckett as she opened the door to the interrogation room.

Benjamin, no longer handcuffed, paced around the small interrogation room wondering what was taking so long. They had obviously confirmed his story, otherwise he'd still be cuffed to the table. Just then the door opened and in walked Captain Beckett; following at a trot was his boss, Assistant Section Chief Arnold Ferguson. This was now officially, the worst day of his life.

Ryan and Esposito rushed to the observation room, eager to watch Beckett in action; this was going to be fun. "Taylor, sit down!" grumbled Ferguson. "Investigator Taylor, could you tell me why you were following Ms. Castle and how she figures into an SEC investigation?" asked Beckett. Benjamin looked at Ferguson, waiting for a nod to start talking. Beckett, looked at both men, then looked at Benjamin and added "He can't save you now, so start talking." Ferguson cleared his throat and added, "Taylor will explain how Ms. Castle fits into our investigation, however, he, will avoid divulging the name of our target or any specifics dealing with the investigation." "That's fine for now" replied Beckett. Espo and Ryan leaned back, they knew Beckett would get everything out of the SEC before they left that room.

Benjamin started by detailing how he had been conducting undercover surveillance of the target for well over a month. Within the last two weeks the target had started to change his daily routine, meeting with different people, taking strange phone calls and performing odd banking transactions, all just below the $10,000 federal reporting requirement. Three days ago he had met with Ms. Castle at a Starbucks in Time Square. Benjamin added he was not aware of her identity, but that they were observed discussing trading strategies and later exchanging some documents. Due to the nature of the investigation, and the inability to identify Ms. Castle at that time, he had opted to follow her to determine her involvement. He had submitted his surveillance notes earlier that day and had identified Ms. Castle simply as "Red / Unknown #1" Taylor added he was awaiting confirmation on her identity from a facial recognition search. "You're an idiot, Taylor!" screamed Ferguson. "Sir, Vincent only came onboard yesterday, until then I was tailing the target by myself. I've barely slept six hours in the last three days! The target was demonstrating flighty behavior and I was afraid he'd tuck tail and run. I didn't want to stop to identify some pretty girl he was probably ... chasing." Benjamin averted his eyes as his voice trailed into a whisper, "I'm sorry Captain Beckett, I hope I didn't scare your daughter, it was never my intention." Ferguson smirked, took a breath and said, "I don't care whose daughter she is, I want to know what her involvement in our case is. As a _courtesy,_ I will allow you to bring her down to our office tomorrow for questioning. Now are we done here?"

Enjoying the fireworks, Espo and Ryan took note of Ferguson and prepared for the slaughter. Beckett smiled that killer smile and softly turned to Ferguson. The look could have frozen molten lava. Beckett stood, her 5'9" thin frame towering over the sitting 5'5" Ferguson. "No… we are not done here" hissed Beckett. "Allow me to expand on your trivial information and flawed investigation. Your target is Nicholas Randall, why? I really don't know, nor do I care. I know you probably have a tap on his phone, but have yet to obtain a warrant to monitor his emails. I know this, because had you checked his emails you would have seen the scheduled meeting with Ms. Castle. You would have discovered that Ms. Castle, along with the friends she met today on the South Field are students at Columbia University and are working on an ethics in finance paper. The so-called _meeting_ between Ms. Castle and Mr. Randall was for her class. This could have been verified by contacting her professor who has an outline of the paper and had approved all the interviews." Beckett now faced a standing Ferguson, as Taylor cover his face with both hands. "I don't know how you guys do things at the SEC, but we follow and connect all the information before jumping to conclusions, it's called _**good old fashion police work**_ **!** Now, if you want to talk to Ms. Castle, you can do so, right here, right now, or you can get a subpoena. What will it be gentlemen?" Ferguson was furious, he had been made a fool in front of what he considered the local yokels. Taylor would be sorting evidence for the next thirty years! Just then Taylor spoke "I would like to talk to her here, if she's amicable to the request."

Alexis had been waiting down the hall with Officer Hastings. By now they had run out of chit chat and she was feeling uncomfortable. Hastings kept reassuring her that the Captain would clear up whatever was going on. Kate walked towards Hastings and thanked her. "Kate!" yelled Alexis, "Can we go home?" "Alexis, sit down, I need to ask you some questions." Hastings excused herself and walked away. "Am I in some kind of trouble? I swear Kate, I haven't done anything, you know I'm a straight arrow, I would never…" tears swelled in Alexis' eyes as she looked pleadingly at Beckett. Beckett took Alexis' hands in hers, reassuring her "Sweetie, no, you haven't done anything wrong. It's a _wrong place, wrong time_ kind of thing. I promise we will clear this up in a few minutes. Now, I want you to think back when you met up with Nicholas Randall." Alexis jumped up and said "Is that what this is all about? That sleazeball?" Kate had Alexis sit back down "I need you to tell me everything you said, and did when you meet with said _sleazeball_."

Alexis took a seat and began to retell her Randall encounter. "I met him alone because Zoey bailed out at the last minute. We met at Starbucks, by Time Square. The moment I saw him he gave me the creeps. I introduced myself as Alexis Rogers, as I always do for school stuff. I gave him a copy of my notes, which were copies of articles detailing how he was this _Wall Street whiz._ I asked him a few questions just to be polite, but I couldn't get out of there fast enough. He made a pass at me, gave me a copy of some articles listing all his accolades and accomplishments and then threw in his business card with _his personal phone number_ on the back. I thanked him, and walked out, quickly depositing his card into the nearest trash can. I still have the papers he gave me, they're in my bookbag. That's it, it was such a crappy interview we omitted it from our final draft."

Kate was fuming; this Randall character was probably some type of Bernie Madoff wannabe. Kate explained to Alexis she would have to speak to the SEC to clear up the confusion and what they termed _"her involvement"_ but that she would be there with her. They walked back towards the interrogation room, Kate reassuringly holding Alexis' hand.

You could have heard the proverbial pin drop when they walked into the room. Benjamin immediately stood, forcing Ferguson to rise. Alexis gasped as she recognized Benjamin as the guy following her. As she took a step back, Kate placed her hand on her shoulder, assuring her it was okay. "Alexis Castle, this is Investigator Benjamin Taylor, and his supervisor, Mr. Arnold Ferguson, they are with the SEC." Benjamin took a step forward, extending his hand, but was unceremoniously rebuffed by Alexis. Ferguson, pulled out a chair and pointed for Alexis to sit down. "Ms. Castle, we have some questions, for you," he added. Beckett looked at Benjamin and knew she had to intercede. "Is this not Taylor's case? Should he not be the one asking the questions?" Ferguson had had enough, "Listen here Captain, this may be your precinct, but this is my case, and I will dictate how things are done!" "Fine" Kate answered. As Alexis turned to see if that response had indeed come from Kate she quickly heard _badass_ Beckett. "Fine… then you better get that subpoena, because my daughter's not talking to anyone but Taylor. Mr. Ferguson, I say this not as Captain Beckett but as **Mrs. Richard Castle** ; we will have you wrapped up in legal tangles for the next ten years. By the time our lawyers get through with you, Randall will be a footnote on some lost legal memo in your archives." Esposito and Ryan, watching from the observation room fist bumped and lamented running out of popcorn.

It was a stand-off, and Ferguson knew this was no bluff. "I'll tell you what, if I leave, so do you. Allow Taylor to question Ms. Castle one on one; no interference." Alexis turned, silently pleading with Kate not to leave. Kate could feel her heart drop, she had promised Alexis she would be there and she was about to break that promise. "Alexis, I will be watching from the observation room, just next door, I promise it will be alright. Besides, look at him, do you really think he wants to tangle with Esposito again?" Kate added as she gestured towards Benjamin. Alexis let out a small nervous laugh. She could see evidence of Benjamin's introduction to Esposito, in the form of several small cuts and a blossoming bruise to the right side of his face. Kate held the door open for Ferguson as they both exited.

Benjamin Taylor could not recall ever being so nervous; maybe that time in high school when his mom found a condom in his jeans and demanded to know if he knew how to properly use it because she was "too young to be a grandmother!" "Ms. Castle," the wispy voice surprised even him. He cleared his throat and started again. "Ms. Castle, as Captain Beckett explained, I'm Benjamin Taylor an investigator with the Securities and Exchange Commission. I don't know how she figured it out, but Nicholas Randall is a person of interest in one of our investigations, and a few days ago you met with him." – "She's very smart and good at her job," Alexis interjected. "I'm sorry?" a perplexed Benjamin asked. "You were wondering how my… how Captain Beckett had figure out who you were investigating" Alexis explained. "Yes she is, she's a smart lady" admitted Benjamin, with a tinge of admiration. "Could you tell me what your connection to Mr. Randall is?" Alexis' face flushed at the insinuation of anything between her and Randall; she had had enough. "Look here, _Mr. Investigator_ , there is no _connection_ or anything else between Randall and me!" Aha! For the first time since this whole ordeal had gone south, Benjamin was confident he was seeing Red's true colors. He liked this self-assured, highly indignant woman in front of him. He let her continue, as he saw all hesitation and doubt melt away. "I met Randall as part of a class project. It's a paper for my ethics class at Columbia. But you know that already, as you've been following me for God knows how long. The interview was a bust; Randall was more interested in spouting self-serving bullshit than talking about the subject at hand _Wall Street Greed_ ; go figure" she explained. Benjamin averted his eyes and looked at the ground, "Four days, I've been following you four days." Alexis was caught off guard, and an awkward silence ensued. "You exchanged some papers with Mr. Randall, what were they?" Alexis leaned back and laughed, "Papers? Those were copies of articles on Mr. Randall, articles I used to develop my questions. Research, it's called research, perhaps you've heard of it?" Oh, it was on, Benjamin was now enjoying this tit for tat. "You two appeared to be "chummy," I believe Mr. Randall, gave you some papers too." Alexis grinned. Now she saw why her dad and Beckett enjoyed interrogations so much, it was a cat and mouse game. "Well, you see, Nick, he likes to be called Nick, wanted me to have a list of his accolades. After all, he has garnered quite a reputation." "That he has" replied Benjamin. "Had you met him before or since?" **"No, God NO!"** shouted Alexis. Benjamin looked at her and his heart skipped a beat; God she was pretty! But he had a job to do, and if he wanted Ferguson to leave her alone, he had to ask these stupid questions. "Alexis, do you mind if I call you Alexis?" he asked, "As a matter of fact, I do" she snapped.

In the next room Ferguson paced as he fumed. Beckett was glad to see Alexis standing her ground and meeting Taylor toe to toe. She was proud of her girl. Benjamin looked straight into Alexis Castle's blue eyes, stood and asked "Ms. Castle, do you tell your parents your busy studying at Columbia, when truth be told you're not even registered? The registrar has no record of an Alexis Castle enrolled at Columbia; now nor in the last three years, we just checked." Alexis just about fell off her seat, she was ripped with laughter, but also slightly offended. Benjamin could not understand why she found this question so funny; if this was true she should have been mortified, after all her mother was watching from the next room. In the next room, Kate too started to laugh. He had known better than to ask that question. Though that was the information they had received, something was off, there was no way she was lying about attending Columbia. But, it was out of his hands, Ferguson had insisted he ask that question and when Benjamin objected, he had made it an order.

Alexis regained her composure and for the first time really looked at Benjamin Taylor, SEC Investigator. He did not look like a cop, he looked more like an accountant, a cute accountant, but an accountant none-the-less. She was sure he was in his mid-twenties and about six feet tall. His brown hair was short, but un-kept, he had green eyes, and he wore jeans and a faded Star Trek t-shirt; no doubt an attempt to fit in among the college crowd. She took a breath and said, "Remember what I said earlier about research?" Alexis looked towards the two-way glass, to indicate without a doubt, to whom this was directed "You guys need a refresher course in research, because even I know, you don't ask a question without having all the facts. With all due respect, you guy are idiots!"

"As you may know, my father is Richard Castle, the _somewhat famous_ mystery writer." Kate could not help but chuckle at Alexis' description of her father. Alexis went on to explain how her father has fans of all types, most which were very nice, normal people, some which she described as colorful and several that were "a few fries short of a happy meal." She continued to elaborate how her father had always limited her exposure to the public and avoided the paparazzi's, so that she would have as normal a life as possible. He had protected her identity and had always registered her in school as Alexis Rogers. She leaned in and beckoned at Benjamin with her finger to move closer. Transfixed, Benjamin leaned in just as Alexis raised her voice and exclaimed, "My father's real name is **Richard Alexander Rogers;** he changed it to Castle before he was published." This was a disaster, Ferguson stormed out of the observation room, bursting into the interrogation, bellowing "We're done here. Ms. Castle we will be in touch if we need anything further. In the meantime, we ask you not discuss this with anyone outside those here today."

Kate, following on the heels of Ferguson, stood holding the door while he exited. Closely following was an embarrassed Benjamin. Kate and Alexis looked at each other, and laughed out loud, letting out the tension they had bottled up. Alexis walked towards Kate, hugging her tight and softly thank her. "Thanks for everything Kate" "What for sweetie, you know I'll always be here for you." "Yea, I know, but thanks for being my "mom" today." Kate's heart skipped a beat, as she gave Alexis an extra little squeeze; the words melted her heart.

By the time they'd finished the paperwork, and got rid of the SEC it was well past six o'clock. Ryan and Esposito had enjoyed a good show, but even they were ready to go home. They all walked towards the elevator, as each headed their separate way and called it a night. "You think they'll call me again?" asked Alexis. "No, I'm sure they'll check your story, contact the registrar with your correct registration name, and call your professor. I don't think they really want what happened today widely known." Kate laughed and added "However, I think you were more than a professional curiosity to young Mr. Taylor." Alexis smiled but kept walking, as she tucked the loose strands of hair behind her right ear.

The ride home was quiet. Both Kate and Alexis were tired, as the stress of the day had taken its toll. Neither was particularly hungry, so they each headed to their room, bidding each other good night. After a quick shower, Kate called Castle and brought him up to speed on the events of the day. Castle was angry at the circumstance, but mostly for not being there. "I can't wait to get home. I miss you all so much, and I can't sleep without you next to me" he lamented. "Only two more days, and babe, I can't sleep either" added Kate. She smiled, as she picture her big, middle-aged husband pouting like a nine-year-old. "Castle, I love you, now get some sleep and sell some books." She smiled, ending the conversation with a kiss.

CHAPTER 4

Morning came way too soon. Kate leaped out of bed feeling better than she had in days. Coffee, what she needed was a good cup of coffee. She headed for the kitchen to start a pot of that sweet nectar just as her phone rang, "Beckett" came the automatic response. "Captain, we have a body, and we thought you'd want to come out for this one." "What's so special about this body drop, Espo?" "It's that guy Randall, the one the SEC was following." "I'll be right there, text me the address, and Espo don't publicize his i.d yet." It was going to be a long day, Kate groaned, as she rushed to shower and dress; preparing to confront the headache awaiting her.

She made her way to a parking garage off Battery Park. The patrol car at the entrance was a dead giveaway (no pun intended), she thought to herself. She'd finished her coffee, and was ready for another cup. Randall was seated behind the wheel of a 2015 BMW i8, bleeding all over the expensive leather upholstery. The car was metallic blue, with doors that opened like wings, the Blue Butterfly game to mind. "Too bad Castle's out of town, this thing looked like a spaceship when we got here. Imagine the theories he could come up with; aliens seeking revenge for bad stock tips" quipped Ryan.

Bringing her up to speed, Espo recounted how the garage attendant had spotted the car, both doors opened and had approached and discovered the body. Arriving units had found Randall with what appeared to be numerous gunshot wounds to the torso and one to the head. "Hey Perlmutter, do you have a time of death for us?" Kate asked, catching the medical examiner off guard. "Well, fancy meeting you here Captain Beckett" said Perlmutter. "Must be someone special to have the captain out in the field. Regardless, it's always a pleasure, especially when Castle's not around." "Yes well, it's good to get out of the office now and again" Kate added, smiling at the little Castle jab. "I'll have a more precise time once I get him back to the morgue, but from the liver temperature I put the time of death somewhere between one and three o'clock this morning."

The scene had been processed, the body transported to the morgue and the vehicle towed to the impound lot. Randall's personal effects had been itemized and secured. "I think we can rule out robbery" said Espo. "His wallet had all his credit cards and $630 cash, plus he had on a gold Patek Phillipe watch. I googled it, it's worth $75,000. And look at that car! If I'm robbing this guy, I'm stripping him naked, and taking the car; this baby's worth $140,000; ain't no way this was a robbery." Esposito was right, this was not a robbery gone bad, this was plain and simple murder.

Once back at the precinct Esposito approached Beckett and inquired, if he was still the lead on the case, she assured him it was still his case. Beckett added that they both knew the SEC was going to factor in, and Ferguson was not a team player. As Captain, she would handle Ferguson. "Thanks Captain, you know diplomacy is not my strongest suit" added Esposito with a smirk.

The murder board was looking rather sparse and empty. Aside from a picture of Randall, his car and two crime scene photos they had nothing. A very scared parking attendant sat in the interview room, but had provided very little information. After conducting a GSR (gunshot residue test) on his hands, it was determined he had not recently handled or fired a gun. He detailed his last walk through of the garage, which was just before midnight. He reported seeing the usual overnight vehicles and noted that the top levels were empty. He could not remember the fancy car entering, but advised there was a private side entrance that provided entry, via a keycard system. The day shift attendant telephoned him around four-thirty a.m. to say he was running late and asked if he would conduct the five o'clock walk through; in exchange he could leave an hour early the following night. It was during this walk through that he had seen the "fancy ass car, with the wing doors open and the driver asleep." He thought the guy was drunk, but then saw the blood and ran, locking himself in the office, closing the main gate and calling police.

So far everything was a bust, the video at the main entrance did not show Randall driving in, and as luck would have it, the camera along the private entrance had been broken for weeks. Beckett picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and dialed Fergusons number. "Mr. Ferguson, please, tell him it's Captain Beckett from the 12th Precinct" she said to his assistant. She was placed on hold for more than an acceptable amount of time, Beckett was sure Ferguson was purposely making her wait. "Captain Beckett" she heard Ferguson say, "How may I assist you?" "It appears something new has developed with Mr. Randall" Beckett responded. "Did Ms. Castle remember something else?" "No, what I need to know is, were you guys tailing Randall last night?" she inquired. Ferguson politely explained that their investigation was none of the NYPD's business and that whatever information she wanted she could request via his chain of command. Holding her breath and counting to ten, Beckett replied, "That's fine, except your target went and got himself murdered last night! Not to worry I'll have the Commissioner's Office request a subpoena for all records pertaining to your investigation. Thanks for your cooperation, I'll make sure to write a letter." As she hung up, Beckett was positive the click on Fergusons' end could be heard across the SEC building; she grinned, looking at her watch. Twelve seconds, twelve seconds before her phone started ringing; just how long should she let it ring? After the second ignored call, Beckett picked up, "Captain Beckett" she calmly answered. "What do you mean he was murdered? And why weren't you picking up the phone? You are purposely being difficult!" Ferguson shouted. "I was on the other line with the Commissioner's Office working on that subpoena you requested," touché, thought Beckett. Once the verbal fencing was completed and Beckett was assured she would receive all the information available, she got on the phone with One PP; she opted to call Commissioner Gates on her private line. "Commissioner, we have a situation. Earlier today we had a body drop and the victim had been under surveillance by the SEC. The contact person has been Assistant Section Chief Arnold Ferguson, he's been _less than cooperative_ if you get my drift." We've come to an understanding, but I wanted you to have a heads-up in case he makes waves." Having dealt with many a federal agency, Gates understood and appreciated the call.

Still nursing a bruised ego and banged face, Benjamin Taylor looked the worst for wear. "The single longest day of my life and it's only eleven thirty in the morning!" Benjamin uttered to himself. Assigned to the records room, probably in perpetuity. The memo had been sitting on his desk when he walked in at eight, he was to transfer all his investigative notes on the Randall case to Vincent and assist with the yearly inventory of files. Resigned to his penance, Benjamin was caught off guard when Ferguson marched into the file room, bellowing his name. "Here" hissed Ferguson, as he shoved a paper in his face. "Make copies of all the Randall files and report to Captain Beckett at the 12th Precinct, she will fill you in. Effective immediately you are detached to the NYPD until further notice. And Taylor, don't screw up!" No sooner had Ferguson turned around, than Benjamin was scurrying out the door to retrieve the files and flee.

Benjamin walked off the elevator onto the 12th Precinct Homicide Unit with his orders and the entire Randall investigation; three folders and a USB flash drive in his pocket. Esposito watched as Taylor hesitantly headed towards him. Taylor stopped, and extended his hand, Esposito stared for a moment, shook his hand and said "Javier Esposito, welcome aboard; sorry about the face." Benjamin let out his breath, "Thanks, Benjamin Taylor, glad to be of service. I'm to report to Captain Beckett, is she in?" "Down the hall to your left." Taylor knocked on the door waiting for a response. "Enter" was all he heard. Beckett looked up and saw Benjamin walk in, standing practically at attention. "Mr. Taylor, we meet again." "Captain, good afternoon ma'am." Beckett motioned for Benjamin to take a seat, not missing the sizable bruise to his chin and forehead. "Your Mr. Randall got himself killed last night, so how was this possible when he was under surveillance?" she asked. "After the little mishap yesterday, our Section Chief pulled us off the case pending review." "Why am I not surprise?" Beckett stood, exited her office, followed closely by Taylor. They walked towards Ryan and Esposito who were comparing notes near the murder board. "Ryan, Espo, I believe you've already met Investigator Benjamin Taylor of the SEC. He has been detached to the 12th to assist us with the Randall murder. He will provide all the intel they have and try to help us put a name to our perp." Ryan gave Taylor a sideways glance, but extended his hand. As the men shook hands, Becket started to walk away but turned and said, "Taylor, as for yesterday, its water under the bridge. Esposito is the lead detective on this case, he and Ryan will show you the ropes, you report to him."

CHAPTER 5

Friday night, only forty-eight hours until Castle returned home. As she turned the key to the front door she could hear Alexis humming from the kitchen. "Hey, you're home! I'm making dinner, Chicken Marsala with rosemary potatoes." "Thanks, but it's Friday night, shouldn't you be out with your friends?" Alexis sighed, "It's been a long week, I just want to stay home and read a book, something not school related." "A good murder mystery perhaps?" quipped Kate. Alexis balled up a kitchen towel and playfully tossed it at Kate as they both laughed. They had a pleasant dinner, catching up on the events of the day. "So, how's the Randall case going?" asked Alexis. "Ryan and Espo were chasing down something, but I haven't heard any news yet."

By eight o'clock they had settled in and were binge watching missed episodes of Temptation Lane when Kate's phone rang. "Beckett" came the automatic response. "Hey, Beckett, it's Espo. We got something, and seeing how tomorrow's Saturday, we were wondering if we could drop by and get your take on it?" Although she was still dedicated to her job, since making Captain, Kate had avoided bringing work home. Kate looked at Alexis, shrugged her shoulders and told Esposito to head over. When the doorbell rang, Alexis excused herself and went to her room. "I hope you have something good," Beckett said as she opened the door. "We do, I think we got our killer" she heard Espo chime as they strolled past her. Kate was startled to see Investigator Taylor along with Ryan and Esposito. Beckett addressed Taylor, "I didn't expect to see you too." "Captain, he's been with us all day, and he's been rather helpful" advised Ryan. "Well, come on in, show me what you've got" said Beckett as she led them to the den.

"It turns out Taylor here was right, Randall was getting ready to run. We don't know what spooked him but something did, because he was closing down shop. We believe we know the, who, where, and when, but the why is the missing piece." Esposito continued to fill in Beckett on their investigation, he walked to the computer and inserted a flash drive, video soon played.

They had canvased the parking lot again and had obtained the names and contact information of all the overnight parking customers. Once back at the precinct they had contacted each individual and hit pay dirt. "It appears there's a guy who parks his 1966 Shelby Cobra there. He pays for three slots so no one gets close to his car. He inherited this beauty from his uncle, he is very protective of the car; even has his own surveillance camera setup. As you can see, we have a grainy video of a guy walking out of the garage around two-fifteen in the morning, just within our time frame." "Great, pick him up" added Kate. "That's where it gets a little tricky" said Taylor. Esposito picked up and said, "Taylor here sent the video to his IT wizard friend at the SEC and he managed to clear it up enough to give us an i.d. There's info on him in Taylor's investigation, so we have a connection with Randall. The guy is Edward Edgewater, a bank executive. We can't find any priors on him, but we're still digging." "So why haven't we picked him up for questioning?" inquired Beckett. "He's on his way to Croatia, we just missed him, he's on Lufthansa flight 405. We do have enough time to issue a material witness warrant and get him back." Beckett looked at Esposito and under her breath said "Croatia is a non-extradition country, they won't send him back." Ryan piped in, "But the flight has a layover in Frankfurt and the Germans will send him back." Just then Taylor joined in the discussion. "Captain, I don't think he's running. I know it's a gamble, but my records indicate Edgewater had this trip planned for months. We have conversations between him and Randall where he's telling Randall he won't be available for a week because he's traveling abroad on business. His bank is associated with one of the largest banking institutions in Zagreb, Croatia, and we've confirmed this is a legitimate business trip. He does not know we are on to him for Randall's murder. This guy is a hubristic, arrogant, snob who thinks he's smarter than anyone else, he'll be back." Esposito gave the kid credit, jumping in like that offering his theory to the Captain took guts. Taylor had laid it out to Espo, but Esposito had his doubts. Kate turn towards Espo, "Do we have enough for an arrest?" "No" Espo answered "and quite honestly, I don't think we have enough to get him back here; it would be a stretch. We're still waiting on DNA from inside the car as well as other trace evidence." Kate appreciated Esposito's honesty and trusted Espo without hesitation.

As they stood about plotting their next step, Alexis walked into the den. "You!" she shouted, glaring at Taylor. With everyone's eyes on him, Taylor moved swiftly behind Beckett. Alexis turned around and stormed out of the den. Kate excused herself, calling out to a flustered Alexis. "Alexis, Alexis…" Kate called. " **Alexis Harper Castle!** " never hearing Kate call her by her full name Alexis came to a sudden stop, turning to face her. "I'm sorry, I should have told you Investigator Taylor was helping with the Randall case. I had no idea he would still be with Ryan and Esposito. But Alexis the man is a guest in our home. I know you don't necessarily like him, and I understand why, but he was doing his job." Alexis, feeling a bit embarrassed, looked at Kate and walked back to the den. "Good evening Detective Ryan, Detective Esposito, I just came in to say hello." It did not go unnoticed that Taylor was not afforded a salutation. Alexis turned and once again exited the den. Taylor knew he could not allow Alexis Castle to continue feeling this animosity towards him. He owed her an apology and perhaps an explanation. He took a hesitant step, but soon, quick-stepped it after her. Kate, Ryan and Espo looked at Benjamin and shook their heads; the man had no clue.

"Alexis?" Benjamin called in a soft tone. "Do not **ever** call me that! I am Ms. Castle to you!" Alexis hissed through clenched teeth. "Alright, _Ms. Castle_ , I wanted to apologize. I know I probably scared you the other day and I'm sorry. I did not know who you were, but now, knowing a bit about your background, I understand why having someone following you is so unnerving. Again, my sincere apologies. I'm temporarily assigned to the 12th Precinct working for Captain Beckett. I assure you, I will make every effort to avoid you having to see me; now if you'll excuse me." As Benjamin turned, Alexis spoke, "you didn't scare me." Benjamin faced Alexis with an inquisitive look. Alexis explained, "I knew someone was following me, it felt creepy and it was unsettling, but I was never scared." Benjamin smiled as Alexis continued to walk upstairs. Just as she approached the second-floor landing Alexis called out, "Mr. Taylor, thank you for the apology." Taylor returned to the den with a pep in his step.

Kate and Esposito agreed, they had little choice but to let the Edgewater trip play itself out. They would trust Taylor's instincts and investigation. They would continue to build their case and perhaps have enough evidence to arrest Edgewater upon his return.

It was a little after ten when they finally said good night. Espo promised to keep her updated. She could finally relax. She poured herself a glass of red wine, curled up on the couch and grabbed her book, "W is for Wasted" by Sue Grafton. Aside from Castle, Grafton ranked as one of Kates favorite mystery writers.

She was into her second chapter when Alexis came done stairs. "I'm sorry Kate, I know I was rude and behaved like a 5 year old. It's just, I didn't expect to find **him** in our living-room. It's no excuse, and I don't know why that guy makes me so furious! Anyway, he apologized." "Glad to hear I won't be investigating a second murder" Kate replied with a smile, while patting the couch for Alexis sit down. Alexis looked at the book in Kate's hands, "No, I'll just go back upstairs and read, so go ahead and finish your book." Kate put her book down and pulled Alexis' arm making her plop down on the couch. They both laughed and Kate nudged Alexis with her shoulder "Your dad said he'd call around eleven, so why don't we wait and talk to him together." "I miss him," said Alexis "Me too" added Kate.

CHAPTER 6

Castle had been away for three weeks, an unusually long book tour that has taken him to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. With Martha also away performing in Europe, Kate and Alexis had been left on their own. "We have one more day to ourselves; maybe Sunday we can surprise him and pick him up at the airport. I'll get all the details from Paula, how 'bout it?" asked Kate. "Whatever you're planning, I'm in" giggled Alexis. Just then Kate's phone rang, as she hit the speaker button, they both called out in unison, "Hey!" "Well, if it isn't my favorite girls!" exclaimed Castle. "What are you two up to? Any wild parties?" "No, we already did that" laughed Alexis. "How's Canada dad? Seen any cute Mounties? I do love a man in uniform" snickered Alexis. "Yep, those uniforms are great" added Kate. "Hey, lady, you're a married woman!" Alexis and Kate laughed at Castle's retort. "So, how is Canada?" asked Kate. "It's beautiful, not too cold yet. The people are awesome, some of the best crowds we've had, and very polite. But I can't wait to get home, I miss you." Alexis stood and yelled as she walked away, "Night dad, love you, see you Sunday!" "Love you too pumpkin, good night" replied Castle.

Kate stood and walked towards their bedroom. "Am I off speaker?" asked Castle. "Yes, it's just us." "Good, because I want to tell you every place I plan on kissing the minute I see you." "Well Mr. Castle, don't oversell yourself, after all it's a long flight and jet lag…" laughed Kate. "Jet lag! I laugh in the face of jet lag! Nothing will keep me from making mad passionate love to my wife!" mocked Castle. "I'll hold you to that." After a few minutes of conversation, he explained he had two book signings the next day and would call really late Saturday night. Castle advised he'd be arriving at JFK at eight-thirty Sunday night. Paula had arranged for a car to pick him up, so she could just wait for him at home. After hanging up, Kate called Paula.

Paul answered, automatically, "Did Ricky call you crying?" "No, why, has he been misbehaving?" laughed Kate. "It's Richard Castle, when is he not misbehaving?" replied Paula. "You have a point. I just got off the phone with him and I need your help with something."

Kate proceeded to explain how she and Alexis wanted to surprise Castle and pick him up at the airport. She wanted to confirm Castle's flight information and have Paula cancel the car service. On the other end of the phone, Kate could hear Paula's uncontrollable laughter. "You too are a pair. I swear it's eerie how alike you two think" said Paula between laughs. "Listen Kate, I normally wouldn't do this to Ricky but he's made my life miserable these last three weeks. He'll be home tomorrow."

Paula had recounted how Castle had moved heaven and earth to get back to New York early. They had bumped into Michael Bublé at a dinner party in Vancouver, and Rick had spent all night talking to him. Turned out Bublé was headed to New York for a Good Morning America appearance via a chartered jet and Castle had finagled a ride. "He'll be landing at Teterboro between six and six-thirty tomorrow evening; I'll cancel the car. Good luck!" Paula only wished she could be there to see Ricks face. "Thanks, Paula, I owe you one."

They started planning early Saturday morning. Kate had ordered a pint of Castle's favorite ice cream, potato chip fudge –it pained her to admit it was rather tasty. They pre-ordered Chinese, so dinner would be waiting when they returned to the loft. The car service would pick them up, then head to the airport; they would instruct the driver to pick up Castle and not let on that they were waiting in the car.

By three-thirty, the ice cream was in the freezer, the food had been ordered and Kate was as anxious as a five-year-old on Christmas Eve. The car would be picking them up at five o'clock sharp. Alexis came downstairs and saw Kate biting her nails, "Don't worry, he'll be surprised" she said. Her dad was always the grand skimmer, here he was planning to surprise them and Kate was one step ahead of him. He and Kate were a matching pair.

Kate headed to her room to shower and dress. She had opted for a pair of black skinny jeans, a purple sweater and her signature boots. After showering, she dried her hair, wearing it down and loose. Rick liked her hair down, and she loved how he ran his fingers through her hair when he kissed her – the anticipation was palpable. By four-thirty both she and Alexis were ready.

At five fifteen they were seated in the back of the towncar headed towards Teterboro. They had lucked out, and had been picked up by Henry, a regular Castle driver. They filled Henry in on their plan and he was more than willing to aid in their grand surprise. The private flight was on time and scheduled to touchdown at six-twenty-six.

"Mike, I can't thank you enough for the ride" said Castle as they prepared for landing. "No sweat Rick, glad I could help. Remember, you have to make me a bad guy in one of your next novels." "Done" replied Castle. Once on the ground, Castle thanked his friend one last time and head to the concourse. He couldn't wait to get home and surprise Kate and Alexis. He wanted to kiss his wife and show her just how much he'd missed her.

He spotted Henry waiting by the gate. "Hey Henry," "Hey Mr. Castle, how many bags?" "Just this one, and the garment bag." As Henry grabbed the suitcase and garment bag he led Castle out to the parking area. "Henry my man, I'm in a hurry to get home. I promise to make it worth your while" added Castle. Henry, walking slightly ahead, smiled and said "Sure thing Mr. Castle, I'll have you there before you know it." Kate and Alexis could see Henry approaching, with Castle a few steps behind. Henry popped open the trunk and Rick walked towards the trunk to put away his computer bag. Taking advantage of the trunk blocking his view, Kate exited the car and jumped into Castle's arms. "Kate!" his voice was swiftly silenced by Kate's lips. Kate had wrapped her long legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck, they were anchored at the lips. He took two steps to maintain his balance and walked towards the rear door asking, "How'd you know?" "Paula betrayed you." quipped Kate as she climbed off Castle. "Remind me to give her a raise." As he opened the door, he set eyes on Alexis. "Alexis!" Both Kate and Alexis laughed as Castle bent down to hug his daughter. "Well dad, I believe Kate and I win." "I've been outmaneuvered and outwitted, the Castle women can declare victory." Castle sat between his two girls, holding both close and tight.

The drive home was quiet, with Castle occasionally kissing his daughter on the forehead and his wife on the lips; his arms never leaving either. Henry was true to his word, and the trip home was smooth and quick. Castle tipped Henry generously, jokingly adding he forgave him for aiding in the conspiracy.

Once inside the loft Castle deposited his bags in the bedroom, grabbed Kate and kissed her deep and hard. "Can we skip dinner and go straight to bed?" he asked. "You tired?" Kate mocked. "I don't have sleep in mind, Mrs. Castle" he whispered in her ear. "Behave yourself. Now go take a shower, we have a surprise for you." Castle swatted Kate on the butt as she walked away, and winking at her as he moved to the bathroom. A few minutes later Castle strolled into the living-room, dressed in sweatpants, and a t-shit that read, _My Daughter and My Money go to Columbia_ , a gift from Alexis her freshman year.

"So, did you miss me?" he asked. "Nope, not at all. As a matter of fact Kate was talking to Paula about sending you on an extended book tour to Indonesia; perhaps a whole month this time!" teased Alexis. Castle walked up behind his daughter, wrapping his arm around her neck as he mockingly squeezed and kissed the top of her head." "So where's this other surprise you two cooked up?" asked Castle. "Not until after dinner" Kate said, as she kiss him.

Dinner was full of conversation with stories from Castle's book signings and his many fan encounters. Alexis and Kate told him of their girl's night out with Lanie, as well as some of their other adventures. They had both agreed to save "shop" talk until later, making tonight just family catch up time. Castle brought out a bag with several small souvenirs, among them a small stuffed moose dressed in a Mounties uniform for Alexis. To Castle's delight, after dinner, Alexis walked to the freezer and brought out the pint of potato chip, fudge ice cream.

It had been a long day for everyone. Castle was fighting to keep his eyes opened and both Kate and Alexis could see he was fading fast. Kate noticed Alexis had a large purse by the door and asked "Alexis are you going out?" "Paige and I are catching a midnight showing of "The Blob" and since it's going to be really late, I'm staying at her place." Knowing this was a covert plan to leave her and Castle alone, Kate kissed Alexis, and whispered a thank you.

"Well, Writer Boy, you ready for bed?" said Kate as she grabbed Castle's hand and led him towards their bedroom. "That's Writer Man, and I was ready two hours ago!" Castle leaped onto the bed, apparently catching his second wind, giving Kate a wickedly sinister smile. Kate plopped next to him, giggling like a school girl. She had missed him dearly. Castle turned towards her, gently caressing her face as he bent and kissed her. The kiss quickly turned unrestrained and reckless with lust. The moans were quiet but soulful. The hurried anticipation had turned to gentle tenderness; an adoration of sorts. The wanton desire had given way to calculated exploration. This was his wife, even after seven years Richard Castle could not phantom the measure of love he had for this woman. The God's had smiled upon him, and Kate Beckett was all the proof he needed. He loved her, and she loved him back.

Kate woke up at eight-thirty, quietly shifting out of Castle's arms and out of bed. She walked towards the bathroom with a good ache to her body and a smile on her face. She turned, watching Castle still fast asleep, and thought to herself, "Writer Man indeed…" Bleary eyed and yawning, Castle strolled out of the bedroom a little after ten to find Kate curled up on the couch reading. "Reading the competition I see" he said as he walked towards her. "Well, good morning Writer Man" she giggled, beaming at him. Castle bent and softly kissed her. "I can't believe I slept in so late. Why didn't you wake me?" he asked. "I figured you needed the rest, after all, that was one hell of a performance last night Mr. Castle." "Why, thank you Mrs. Castle, it's always nice when one's talents are appreciated" he smirked.

Sunday was spent lazily milling around the loft, discussing the Randall murder and other stationhouse happenings. They had also called Martha, who was now in Paris, enjoying every minute of her tour, both on and off the stage. After breakfast and throughout the day they took several "naps," catching up on sleep and other activities they'd missed. Alexis returned around seven that evening, spending little time downstairs before excusing herself and heading to her room. They all adjourned to their rooms early, with Alexis preparing for her morning class, and Castle once again demonstrating his many talents, to a willing Kate.

CHAPTER 7

Alexis refused to acknowledge her alarm, and stayed in bed until six. Bemoaning the inevitable, she threw off her covers, begrudgingly determined to face the day. Monday, why were Monday's so dreadful? Her class started at eight-ten and ran through ten. What had possessed her to take an eight a.m. class on Mondays, or any other day for that matter! A quick shower, jeans, a button down shirt, sweater, boots, bookbag, ear bubs and out the door. She made it to the subway with barely enough time to jump on the train as the doors closed. As she took a seat she pulled her hair back and gathered it into a ponytail; she was ready to face "makeup-less Monday." God she hated Monday's. Coffee, she needed coffee, but she was running late; she'd get some on campus.

Contemporary Civilization and Literature. Seriously? Who took that class at eight in the morning? Having obtained a copy of Alexis Rogers' current Columbia class schedule, Benjamin was determined to make amends. After following her that first morning it had become clear to him that Alexis Castle – Rogers was not a morning person. Five in the morning; what the hell was he doing? He showered, shaved and dressed; blue suit, white shirt and his lucky tie. Out the door by six, on the train by six twenty. The trip to Columbia would take him about forty minutes; he had more than enough time. He'd wait for her outside the lecture hall and apologize, yet again. Benjamin took a seat on the less than crowded subway car, stretched his legs and relaxed. All was right with the world; unlike Alexis, he was a morning person.

The train had been delayed, today her usual thirty-five minute commute took fifty. She exited onto Broadway at seven forty-five; at a quick pace it would take her about five minutes to get to class. Coffee would have to wait. At eight fifty-five Alexis Castle entered the English and Comparative Literature Building. As other students rushed past her, she heard someone call her name. Alexis stopped and turned. When she saw Benjamin she thought, it was way too early, and her brain just wasn't working yet. Benjamin approached her, "A peace offering. I don't know how you take your coffee, so here's a hot chocolate." Benjamin extended the venti size Starbucks cup, smiled, turned and walked away. He knew he had caught her off guard, and needed to make a hasty retreat before she threw the cup at him. She was dazed and completely befuddled. She was tempted to toss the cup in the nearest trashcan; but it was so early, and she really, really needed whatever it was he brought. She took a seat, took a sip and prayed it wasn't poisoned.

Kate and Castle had gotten a late start, but were at the precinct by eight thirty. At eight forty-five a gleeful Taylor exited the elevator at the 12th Precinct. He would check his emails and go through all the Randall / Edgewater evidence again. But first, he needed coffee. Castle, noticing movement in the bullpen, asked "Is that the SEC guy?" Kate looked out towards Benjamin and pointed to Castle. "Castle, I told you to leave him alone." Castle got off the couch and walked out. "This is gonna be fun," he mumbled under his breath. Castle walked into the breakroom and loudly said, "Good morning." Benjamin, startled out of his thoughts almost dropped the coffee pot. "Good morning" he replied. Castle moved towards Benjamin, extended his hand and introduced himself. "Richard Castle, and you would be?" "Benjamin Taylor, SEC Investigator, I'm temporarily assigned to the 12th." "So, _Benjamin Taylor, SEC Investigator,_ " mocked Castle. "I hear you scared my little girl" said Castle, as he tighten the grip on their handshake. Benjamin, coughed up his coffee, and was rendered momentarily speechless. He quickly apologized and returned to his desk. Was there any member of the Castle family he had not apologized to?

When Ryan and Esposito walked off the elevator they found Castle glaring at Benjamin. "Morning Castle, great to have you back" said Ryan. As both Ryan and Esposito walked towards the breakroom, Castle stood and followed. "So Castle, you trying to scare the new guy?" asked Esposito. "I think it's working, he hasn't moved or looked up in an hour," laughed Castle. They all gathered around the murder board discussing the case as Benjamin continued to sit as his desk, avoiding Castle and looking busy. "Taylor, get over here. Explain to Castle about those money transfers" yelled Esposito. Benjamin looked up, as Ryan added, "Don't worry, Castle's not gonna hurt you, Beckett won't let him."

The hot chocolate had been a lifesaver, but she still didn't know what to make of Mr. Benjamin Taylor. By one o'clock she was seated in class with Zoey, Eli and Carlos as they prepared to present their paper. At three o'clock Alexis walked out of class and headed towards the subway. She looked around expecting Taylor to leap out, in continuation of what she now deemed, his "apology tour." She needed to nip this in the bud, she did not need Benjamin Taylor popping up with "peace offerings." She decided to take a cab and head towards the precinct, with any luck the ride would provide her an idea as how to handle this. She asked the cabbie to drop her off at Remy's where she picked up a slice of chocolate cake.

Walking off the elevator Alexis looked around the empty bullpen. Slightly defeated she went towards Kate's office. "Hey, to what do we owe the pleasure?" asked Kate. Kate noticed Alexis looking around and added "If that's for your dad, he's out with the boys. They're following up some leads." Just then Alexis spotted Benjamin coming out of the file room. "Excuse me." Alexis walked towards Benjamin, leaving behind a very confused Beckett.

Alexis reached Benjamin as he sat at his desk. She placed the take out container in front of him, and said, "A peace offering."

Benjamin took a breath, opened the container and smiled at the slice of chocolate cake. "Thank you, Ms. Castle, but it's not necessary." "It's Alexis, and neither was the hot chocolate, but it was appreciated. Listen…" she continued, "I've accepted your apology and I wanted you to know you can stop now." "Okay, _Alexis_ ," replied Benjamin, emphasizing her name. "But only if you admit, you thought I was trying to poison you this morning" he mockingly added. They both laughed. "So, how'd the paper go?" asked Benjamin, as he shoved a forkful of cake into his mouth. Alexis sat in the empty chair next to his desk. Kate carefully watched from her office, wondering what was going on. Kate picked up her phone and called Tori.

A few minutes later, Kate walked into Tori's office. "Hey Captain, I have what you requested. A full history on one Benjamin Elliot Taylor." "Thanks Tori, anything interesting?" asked Beckett, as she sat down. Tori pulled up several printouts and started to read. "He's twenty-six years old, born in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. His dad is a retired airline pilot and his mom is an English teacher. He has two older sisters, both who live in Florida. He attended Columbia on a partial, academic scholarship, and received a Bachelor's degree in Finance with a minor in Forensic Accounting. Right after graduation he went to work for a Wall Street firm. A year later he resigned and went to work for the SEC as an analyst. He transferred to the Investigative Division late last year. He's never been married, and has lived at the same address in the Bronx since moving to New York. He has no criminal history, and aside from a speeding ticket when he was seventeen, has a clean driving record. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, he's in his final year of law school at Fordham. His grandfather passed away last year and left him some money, which he used to pay off his $39,472 a year law school tuition; about $119,000. He's got $42,683 in savings, about $1,800 in a checking account, and a 401K. I can keep digging, but the guy appears to be squeakier than a boy scout." Kate thanked Tori, took the information and walked back to her office. She would have to keep an eye on Mr. Taylor.

CHAPTER 8

It had been a good day, but Castle was glad to be back home. He entered their bedroom and plopped down on the bed. As Kate walked past him, he pulled her down onto his lap. "Castle, you're worse than a horny teenager, let me go!" she said as she kissed him on the lips and laughed. "Now, stop it, I need to talk to you." "Okay, but keep it short, I have plans for you and they do not include talking" he quipped, as he nibbled on her earlobe. "While you were out with the boys, Alexis came to the precinct." "Was she looking for me?" Kate lifted herself off his lap, turned and said, "Nope. She was there to see Taylor." "Really? What was that all about? Did something happen?" Kate walked into the bathroom continuing to update Castle on what little she had observed. Castle could hear the shower and decided to join her. "I couldn't hear you" he smirked, as he joined his wife in the shower. "Likely story, now scrub my back" she demanded. It was not long before the conversation was abandoned in place of other pursuits. As they dressed, Kate provided Castle with the background information Tori had uncovered.

Kate and Castle were in the kitchen preparing dinner when Alexis came downstairs. "Need help?" she asked. "No, we're just tossing together a Cesar salad for dinner, unless you want something else?" "So, Kate tells me you stopped by the precinct this afternoon. Sorry I missed you pumpkin," he nonchalantly said. "I was really there to see Investigator Taylor." Castle put the bowl down taking a serious tone, looked at Alexis and said, "If he's bothering you Alexis, Kate will take care of it. You let her know if there's a problem." "Oh, no, there's no problem. Ben has apologized. As a matter of fact, that's why I was there." It had not gone unnoticed by Kate or Castle that Taylor was now Ben. "He'd apologized several times, but I was rather rude. He wasn't sure I was being honest about accepting the apology. This morning, he was waiting for me outside my eight a.m. class. He brought me a peace offering in the form of hot chocolate. I felt guilty that he still felt compelled to continue to apologize, so I went to the precinct after class with my own peace offering; a piece of chocolate cake from Remy's. I wanted to bury the hatchet," Alexis coyly said. "Dad, did you know he graduated from Columbia? He's at Fordham Law now," she rambled. "Really?" replied Castle. "Seems Mr. Taylor is full of surprises." That evening as they prepared for bed, Kate turned to Castle and said, "I'll have a chat with Mr. Taylor tomorrow about this. Hot chocolate peace offering my ass!" Castle took his wife's arm as she turned and laughed, "A little protective, are we?"

Kate was waiting for Taylor the next morning. As Benjamin got off the elevator, Kate walked out of her office and summoned him. "I wonder what that's all about?" asked Esposito.

"Take a seat, I need to have a word with you. You will be working with us until we clear this case…" Benjamin interrupted, "And I appreciate the opportunity, that little incident with Alexis, well, suffice to say I am not my bosses favorite person. I hope to make things right with this assignment." "Be that as it may, my concern is not with your work but with your interest in Alexis. I understand you showed up at Columbia yesterday?" Benjamin could tell Kate was not amused. He took a deep breath, allowing Beckett to finish. "I don't know what your intentions are but, it would serve you well to remember that Alexis is my daughter. I cannot stop you from seeing her, I can however, make it very uncomfortable for you if you hurt her. Are we understood?" Benjamin swallowed hard, and nodded his acknowledgement. If he wasn't mistaken, the Captain had just threatened him.

The remainder of the day was uneventful. They were still sorting through statements, when Ryan asked Taylor what the Captain wanted with him. Debating what he would say Taylor opted for the truth. Esposito was not amused. Espo looked at Taylor and said, "Listen here Taylor, you seem like a nice enough guy, but we don't know shit about you. You could have a wife and ten kids for all I know. Alexis Castle is family, and we take care of family. I would do anything for that girl, so you better watch your step. Comprende?" A profound tension could be felt in the room. "Understood" was all he said. Benjamin took his stack of reports and walked back to his desk. Alexis Castle was one well protected young woman. By six o'clock he was on the subway headed home. A quick shower and out again; he was meeting Alexis at eight.

Alexis was actually looking forward to dinner. She had hesitated when Benjamin asked her out, but then agreed on a casual, friendly meet. Benjamin would be picking her up around eight. Alexis had suggested they meet at the restaurant, but Benjamin had refused; he was not going to hide, he would pick her up at the loft. At seven thirty Alexis walked downstairs to find Kate and her dad having dinner. "Hey pumpkin, you going out?" asked Castle. "That's what I wanted to talk to you guys about." Alexis knew she just needed to get this out quick, like ripping off a band-aid. "I have a date with Ben; Investigator Taylor. We're going to dinner." Kate stood from the table, walked to the kitchen and pour herself some more wine. "Kate? I know Benjamin works for you now, so if this is a problem…" Alexis' voice trailed. Kate turned, looked at Alexis and said "Alexis, you're a grown woman, I won't tell you who you can and can't date. I just don't want you to get hurt." Alexis walked up to Kate, gave her a hug and added, "I know, and I'm sure you'll threaten him with a painful death, but it's just dinner." Castle, having fought this battle before, added, "I think Kate's already had a chat with young Mr. Taylor. Something about them never finding his body." Alexis glared at her father and then at Kate, not sure how serious they were. "For whatever its worth, I offered to meet him at the restaurant to avoid the third degree, and he refused" professed Alexis.

As he approached Alexis' building, Benjamin kept telling himself this was no different than the hundreds of other dates he's had. You knock on the door, perhaps go in, chit chat, and leave; how difficult could it be… Who was he kidding!

As he entered the lobby, the doorman greeted him, "Good evening sir, you must be here for the Castle's." "How'd you know?" he inquired. He told Benjamin, Castle had called advising them to keep an eye out for a young man looking like he was going to face a firing squad. "I take it that's you." The doorman laughed, walked him to the elevator and pressed the penthouse floor.

When the doorbell rang Alexis walked over to open the door. Looking at both Castle and Kate, she begged, "Now, be nice. Dad? Please? Kate, tell him to be nice." Castle looked at his worried daughter, and using his index finger crossed his heart and smiled. She opened the door, saw the terrified look on Benjamin's face, and grabbed her purse; just then Castle called out. "Alexis, show him in." Castle had walked up behind Alexis and was now holding the door open. "Come in, come in, you two have a few minutes, don't you?" "Yes sir" muttered Benjamin. Castle placed his arm around Benjamin's shoulders and guided him to the living-room. "Honey, look who's here, it's _**Ben**_ " quipped Castle. Benjamin greeted Kate as Castle pushed him inside. Kate took one look at Benjamin, walked over to Castle, pulled him off Benjamin and said, "You two enjoy dinner. We'll talk another day." Before Castle could mount a protest, Ben and Alexis were out the door.

"Sorry about that, my dad has a long history of trying to intimidate my dates. He tried to greet one with a severed head once." Benjamin stopped dead in his tracks. "It was fake silly, my grandmother and I caught him before he could implement his plan."

For the first time that evening Benjamin breathed. He had planned everything, it was no secret he wanted to impress Alexis Castle. The restaurant was on Church Street, just a short distance from the loft. He remembered Alexis had that early class the next day, so he wanted to be close by. "Have you ever been to the Macao Trading Company? It's about a ten minute walk, or we can take a cab." Alexis had heard of the restaurant but had never been there.

Though the weather was crisp, they decide it was a nice night for a walk. With their hands in their pockets, walking side-by-side, they talked about the nice weather, the areas many restaurant, and other idle chit-chat; it was apparent they were both nervous. They turned left onto Broadway, then right onto Lispenard and left onto Church Street. Eight minutes later they were outside the restaurant. The tension was undeniable; if it continued, this was going to be a long night. Determined to turn things around, Alexis turned to Benjamin, grabbed the lapels of his coat and planted a kiss on his lips, "There! Perhaps now we can both relax," she said, staring at a dumb-struck Benjamin. He took her hand, opened the door and smiled.

For eight-thirty on a Tuesday night the restaurant was busy but not crowded. They were seated quickly, at a corner table towards the back. Alexis was impressed. The restaurant's décor was that of an old style gambling house; the menu describes a Chinese – Portuguese fusion fare, which sounded interesting. The impromptu kiss had broken the ice, the conversation was now relaxed and spontaneous. They agreed to order the Mushroom and Truffle croquettes, Hoisin BBQ Spiced Hakka Noodles, the African Chicken and share. What African Chicken was doing on the menu of a Chinese-Portuguese restaurant had led to an interesting debate, with Benjamin conceding, when Alexis pointed out Portugal was rather close to Africa and perhaps the chicken had gotten lost. The food, was delicious, the African Chicken had turned out to be both their favorite. During their conversation, Alexis had asked Ben how he had time for law school. Benjamin confessed that this had been his first solo case, and that by all accounts would probably be his last. "You know, the death of my investigator career will be your responsibility." Alexis was taken aback by the statement, but as she looked at Benjamin, she could see the grin on his face. "Yep, you'll be to blame when I have to resign myself to being the top prosecutor for the State of New York" he quipped. Alexis kept the flow going, "Poor man, how will you survive," she mocked.

As they nibbled on their Portuguese donuts dessert, Benjamin mumbled a question. "Do you know what I named you? Before I knew who you were?" "Pain in the ass Columbia girl that takes early classes?" kidded Alexis. "Nope, too long for a file" he smirked. "Red, your file name was Red. I think it suits you." Alexis blushed.

It was close to one in the morning and the restaurants atmosphere had changed from quiet and intimate to loud and club like. "We'll take a cab back," said Benjamin. "It's a short walk, would you mind?" asked Alexis. The temperature had dropped a few degrees, but the night sky was clear and beautiful. The walk back was quite, but enjoyable. "You never answered my question" said Ben, as they entered her building. "What question?" "How do you take your coffee?" Alexis laughed and said, "Two creams one sugar, but Kate and my dad are the coffee fiends; I prefer hot chocolate." Alexis thanked Benjamin for a wonderful evening and said good night. Benjamin waited while Alexis fumbled with her keys. As Alexis turned the key, Benjamin leaned in, kissed her on the cheek and walked away.

CHAPTER 9

For some reason the six a.m. alarm did not bother her. Alexis showered, dressed, and for the first time that semester, applied some make-up. She headed off to the subway with a smile on her face. She spotted him at the entrance to the subway station, cup in hand. "Good morning. I thought I'd walk you to class," he said, as he handed her the cup. "From SoHo?" she giggled. The ride was quite, with Alexis sipping her hot chocolate. She thanked him for the drink, but insisted it was not necessary. The silence between them was interrupted when Benjamin asked if he could see her again. "You know, you could've called, or texted. There was no reason for you to get up at this ungodly hour." Benjamin looked into Alexis' blue eyes and replied, "You're reason enough for me."

Once again, Benjamin was the first to arrive at the 12th Precinct. He was glad to have the time to himself, allowing him to review, yet again, the endless documents from his SEC investigation. He had been embarrassed by the fiasco with Alexis, he needed to prove to Captain Beckett and the squad that he was not totally inept.

Ryan walked into the bullpen, took one look at Benjamin and said "Hey, you trying to make us look bad with the Captain?" Benjamin looked at Ryan and noticed the grin on his face. The last week had been a huge learning experience. He had gotten to know Esposito and Ryan and had developed, both admiration and respect for them. They were savvy, dedicated professionals, who not only enjoyed their job, but excelled at it too. Ryan pulled up a chair next to Benjamin and said "Let me have some of those, two heads are better than one."

When Beckett arrived, she found Ryan and Taylor reviewing files and Esposito on the phone. She was glad they were working well together, and that Taylor had been able to fit right in. Beckett had requested Taylor be assigned to the precinct as the SEC liaison, but she had not known how it would play out.

Taylor and Ryan had been at it for hours when they finally connected the dots and found the root of the case for the SEC. As it turned out, Randall had been embezzling funds from his clients for years. They had found an abhorrent number of money transfers from individuals residing outside the United Sates banking through Edgewater's bank. Once they had reached some of the clients and confirmed they had not transferred any funds from a U.S. bank, the dominoes started falling into place.

It started as a scheme that rival a cheap novel plot, Randall would report half of a client's gains, and increase losses, by doctoring official documents then pocket the difference. He would pick clients that were elderly and had been at the firm for years, who seldom checked or questioned their portfolio. In a bold move, he had set up a dummy bond company and funneled two million dollars into it prior to closing shop. He explained it to his clients as a sad, but unavoidable cost of playing with the _big boys_.

Edgewater was his money man. At first he had selected Edgewater's bank in order to avoid the larger, well know Wall Street names; he was well known and did not need questions. By having access to a foreign banks database and client list, Edgewater was able to manipulate money transfers on a daily basis.

But Randall was getting ready to close shop and disappear, and Edgewater probably wanted a larger cut. With Randall dead, and a very murky paper trail, Edgewater could take it all. They had located four off-shore accounts; two belonging to Randall and two to Edgewater. When the time came, the untangling of accounts and funds would be handled by the SEC and the U.S. Marshal's.

Beckett had contacted Deputy Commissioner Gates with the information, this would be a tremendous feather in the cap of the NYPD and she did not trust Ferguson. Beckett was positive Ferguson would hit the pavement running, having this investigation on the six o'clock news. Blowing their homicide investigation was of no concern to him. The powers to be at One PP had opted to contact the SEC Chair Mary Jo White, who had agreed to keep the investigation under wraps pending the arrest of Edgewater. In addition, credit would be going to Investigator Benjamin Taylor, who along with Detectives Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito located and untangled the web of fraud.

The homicide case was taking shape too. They had located DNA in the car that did not belong to Randall, but they had no DNA sample from Edgewater, thus no comparison. However, they could now link Randall to Edgewater through the SEC investigation; this was more than a business connection, they were coconspirators. They had enough for a warrant.

Esposito prepared a No Knock Warrant and set out with Ryan to visit their favorite judge. They found Judge Markway in his office, as always more than willing to hear them out. Once they explained the SEC connection, as well as all the documented evidence, Markway had only one question, why a _**No Knock Warrant**_. Esposito explained that along with searching for evidence linking Edgewater to Randall's murder, the main purpose for the warrant was to obtain a comparison DNA sample by securing something along the lines of a hairbrush or toothbrush. The subject was out of the country, so announcing would not serve a purpose, as the apartment was empty. In addition, they did not want to risk having the subject contacted and notified, thus allowing him to disappear. Markway, signed the warrant. Warrant in hand, Espo and Ryan returned to the 12th to strategize.

While Ryan and Esposito were gone, Benjamin walked to the breakroom and called Alexis. Her hello put an automatic smile on his face. It had been a long day, but a good day. Their banter was effortless, and even when she mentioned how he knew her schedule better than she did, they both laughed. Benjamin was eager to share the new developments in the case and was surprised and delighted when Alexis shared his enthusiasm. She had laughed when Benjamin informed her he was hoping Esposito and Ryan would ask him along when they served the warrant. After some ribbing, he admitted he wanted to play cop with the big boys.

Benjamin asked her out Saturday night. But, knowing how busy he would be as the case wrapped up, Alexis was sure she would not see him for a while. She accepted, but only if she could plan the date. Having lived with the police unknown while her father shadowed Beckett, she was well aware how plans had a way of falling through. She decided to plan something that could be easily adjusted, just in case. It was only Wednesday, Benjamin could not believe he would not see her again for almost three days; he would have to fix that.

Edgewater lived in a nice, but unassuming building in Queens. The building had a doorman and controlled entry; they needed a way in without arising suspicion. They had plenty of time, Beckett wanted them attracting as little attention as possible. They prepared for a long night. By six-thirty they had ordered pizza and had all the personnel needed in place; along with a way in. The idea had come from Tori, she had cross-referenced Edgewater's address, and the addresses of all NYPD personnel, Tori had hit pay dirt. Samantha Hill, a senior criminalist, working out of the NYPD's Jamaica, Queens lab, resided in the same building. They would contact Hill and enter the building as her guests. They would pick the lock to Edgewater's apartment, gather their evidence and leave, no one the wiser. Beckett contacted Hill's supervisor and had her report to the 12th.

Samantha Hill was a dedicated criminalist who enjoyed her lab. She was your typical "science nerd" and proud of it. She got a kick out of people's reaction when she said she was with the NYPD; and she had credentials and a badge to prove it. When she was summoned to the Crime Lab Directors office, the last thing she thought was that she would be playing cop. She was to report to Captain Beckett at the 12th Precinct. Samantha knew who Captain Beckett was, the entire NYPD knew who Captain Katherine Beckett was. Aside from her NYPD accolades, Katherine Beckett was also Niki Heat; Samantha loved Niki Heat.

Samantha arrived at the 12th and was greeted by an eager Esposito and Ryan. Samantha and Taylor would walk into her building together and she would advise the doorman she had guest coming. Ryan, Esposito and two female crime scene technicians would join them later.

Seeing the late hour and having been stuck in meetings at Black Pawn all day, Richard Castle knew exactly where to find his wife. As he got off the elevator, he could see something was afoot. The bullpen was bustling with activity. "Hey Castle, you've missed all the fun" said Ryan, as Castle leaned in to give his wife a chaste kissed on the cheek. Beckett introduced Castle to Samantha, explaining how she was instrumental to their plan, but in return for her help had asked for an autographed copy of his next book. "I told her she could do better," teased Beckett. Castle shook Samantha's hand, adding flattery would get her everywhere.

After hearing the basis of the plan Castle eagerly volunteered to escort Samantha. Giving her husband a stern look, Beckett reminded him not only was he a married man, but he was a married man whose marriage and life were outlined on Page Six. When Beckett informed Castle they would be sitting this one out, the pouting was historic. Once they were alone, Beckett reminded Castle that as Captain she would be less hands on. Castle whined about being excluded, adding "I've been replaced by Alexis' _**boyfriend**_." Beckett laughed.

It was a bit after eight p.m. when Kate and Castle arrived home. Alexis was on the couch reading when she noticed her father's somber mood. "Don't mind him, he's pouting," said Kate. "And with good reason!" added Castle. "Did they run out of curly fries at Remy's?' mocked Alexis. Kate explained the boys were serving a warrant and Castle was not invited. Alexis chuckled, as she walked over reassuring her father his playmates would invite him next time. Castle walked over to the fridge, pulled out the ice cream and shoved a spoonful into his mouth, as he sadly mumbled, "I've been replaced by _**your boyfriend.**_ " Alexis swallowed, stared at Castle and asked "Who?" "Benjamin, the SEC guy, he gets to go and I have to stay home!" moaned Castle. "Dad, we've been out once! That does not exactly make him my boyfriend; and besides I'm sure this is only temporary." __Alexis grabbed a spoon and dug into the ice cream carton too. Just then, Alexis' text alert pinged, it was Ben, **"I get to play with the big boys!"** Alexis could not help laughing.

The plan had gone off without a hitch. Esposito had decided Samantha Hill had a future in undercover work. She was flawless, not nervous or odd, he had been pleasantly surprised. Benjamin and Samantha had entered her building, and as planned she had left the names of her guest with the doorman. Once inside, Benjamin had scouted Edgewater's floor, detailing back the location to Esposito. Half an hour later, gloves and booties securely in place, the six of them entered Edgewater's apartment undetected. The crime scene technicians systematically photographed and collected evidence, as Samantha cataloged each item. Ryan and Esposito methodically searched, as Benjamin watched with care.

Although they did not locate a toothbrush, Benjamin had spotted a used razor in the trashcan. Samantha explained that typically a user will rinse off a toothbrush or razor after use, thus washing off cells, but a tossed razor was a great find; men seldom washed thing they threw out. She assured the detectives she would run both the mitochondrial (MtDNA) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP's) tests herself on all the DNA evidence collected. They had given the apartment a thorough search, in the laundry hamper they had located a dirty shirt that looked promising and showed traces of gun powder residue on the right sleeve, but they were still missing the gun. They were trying not to toss the place to avoid noise, so the search was methodical but neat. As they prepared to finish, they each decided to check the one place they would least expect to find a gun. Ryan checked inside the toilet tank, Godfather style, and came up empty. Benjamin checked inside the cushions in the living-room, but found nothing. Esposito looked around, headed to the kitchen and checked inside a Costco size oatmeal canister; Bingo! One blue steel, Beretta 84fs 9mm. "Well, that's one way to get your daily dose of iron," quipped Ryan. The tension of the last few hours broken, they all laughed.

With everything impounded and secured Ryan and Esposito bid goodnight to Samantha, thanking her for her help. She advised she would get back to them by Friday, with preliminary results on the DNA. The urgent task at hand, was a ballistic comparison. Esposito had called Lanie, who assured him she would wait at the morgue to run the test. It was well past one in the morning when they got their match; Edgewater was their man.

Benjamin could not contain himself, it was as if he had just hit a homerun with bases loaded. He felt part of a team, a winning team. As they returned to the precinct, Esposito dialed Beckett's number to give her the latest information. He hated to call so late but Beckett had made it very clear she expected to be kept informed at all times. Shortly after her promotion, there had been a very unpleasant discussion when he had neglected to keep her informed; he would not soon repeat that mistake. They would secure an arrest warrant for Edgewater later that day, and be waiting for him at JFK on Saturday. Esposito told Benjamin to go home and not come in the rest of the day, they would see him Friday. "Are you guys coming in later?" he asked. "Dude, we work for a living. We'll get a few hours of shut-eye and be back her by nine a.m. We need to work on the arrest warrant," declared Esposito. "Well, count me in, I'm seeing this thing through," replied Benjamin. "Suit yourself. We'll see you at ten. Nothing will happen till then." With that, Benjamin practically skipped out the 12th Precinct.

He was too wound up, he walked to the subway station unable to control his enthusiasm. He wanted to call Alexis, but it was too late and she had an early class. He'd have to wait, wait until late afternoon; but he could text her. **"Got the bad guy"** short and simple. She would see it, note the time, and know he had wanted to share the news with her.

Alexis heard the ding of the received text. Normally a sound sleeper, tonight she had tossed and turned; perhaps too much ice cream. She ignored the phone for all of ten seconds, before grabbing it off the nightstand and smiling at the text. She dialed his number, "Hey, congratulations." Benjamin was surprised when his phone rang, but delighted when he saw Alexis' number on the screen. "Thanks," he replied. "I'm sorry, I guess I woke you. I expected you to see the text in the morning. Now I feel terrible." Benjamin exclaimed. "Oh, don't, I was actually up, the house phone rang, I guess Esposito was calling Kate." Knowing how these things went, she knew a call had been or would be made to Kate, so a little white lie to spare his feeling wasn't so bad.

CHAPTER 10

Morning at the precinct was a whirlwind. Beckett and Castle arrived to find Esposito busy outlining the arrest warrant. By the time Taylor arrived, everything was in motion. Beckett was notifying One PP, detailing their investigation and pending arrest. Ferguson was still out of the loop. It was only Thursday, they would notify him Saturday morning, when Edgewater was in flight. Taylor's reports were not to be tendered to Ferguson unless approved by Captain Beckett, as per the SEC Commissioner.

They were now all out the door, Castle in tow, to Judge Markway's office to get the arrest warrant signed. Edgewater was scheduled to arrive on Lufthansa flight 400 landing at JFK at one twenty-five, Saturday afternoon. With any luck he'd be in custody by one thirty.

Placing two six feet tall men in the rear of any vehicle was insane, but sharing the backseat of a Dodge Charger with Alexis' father was less than ideal. Benjamin could feel his tie tighten around his neck as Castle glared at him. Castle was enjoying this, he seldom got to intimidate anyone; that was usually Kate and Esposito's territory. Ryan, glancing in the rearview mirror, caught on to what Castle was doing, "Hey, Castle, we promise you can come along on all our other warrants. Now stop trying to intimidate him." Castle huffed and hissed, "He's dating my daughter, I get to intimidate and glare; it's in the Father's Handbook! You'll see, wait till Sara Grace starts dating." Ryan looked at Benjamin inhaled, and said "You're on your own bud."

Markway was glad to hear the search had been a success. He signed the arrest warrant without hesitation.

Now, it was basically a waiting game. They had placed all their faith in Benjamin's assertion that Edgewater would return. Edgewater was scheduled to arrive on Saturday, they simply had to hold their breath.

They returned to the precinct around noon, just in time for lunch. Esposito and Ryan were still tying up loose ends and on their way to see Lanie and Perlmutter. Benjamin stayed back completing paperwork. As Castle and Beckett walked out for lunch, they noticed Benjamin alone in the bullpen. Kate turned around, saying to Castle, "Not a word!" As Captain Beckett approached him, Benjamin put down his notes and stood. "Do you need to see me Captain?" "As a matter of fact I do. Put those papers away, we're taking you to lunch." Seeing the hesitant look on his face as he glanced past her, and at Castle, Beckett pushed Benjamin's chair back noting, "His bark is definitely worse than his bite."

Remy's at the height of the lunch hour was a madhouse, but the 12th and Captain Beckett always had a back table reserved. Beckett highly recommended the burgers, which Benjamin willingly ordered. Castle continued with his silent stare-down, until Beckett jabbed him under the table. The conversation was polite and mostly business. Beckett had asked about law school and shared that she too had at one time considered attending. He thanked Captain Beckett for the opportunity of the last week, it was an experience he had never expected to be part of. He had learned more in the last few days than his entire time in training. Castle had to admit, by all accounts Taylor appeared to be solid. Castle took a bite of his burger, swallowed, looked at Benjamin and said, "Well, Taylor. Since you're dating my daughter; you are dating my daughter, right?" "Yes, sir!" quickly replied Benjamin. Castle continued, "This is the most important question I will ask at this time, and remember you're dating future depends on your answer." Beckett rolled her eyes, giving Benjamin a glimmer of hope. "Mets or Yankees?" asked Castle with a deadpan stare. "Marlins sir, Florida Marlins, the team that beat the Yankees in the 2003 World Series." Kate almost spit up her iced tea, as Benjamin calmly continued to eat his burger. Castle, nodded his head and muttered "Well played sir, well played at that." It appeared Mr. Benjamin Taylor would make a worthy adversary.

By four o'clock they had most of their ducks in a row. Samantha had called from the lab, advising preliminary blood typing on the DNA samples matched. She expected to have some solid result by late afternoon tomorrow and would be in touch. Captain Beckett called a squad meeting at four thirty, congratulated everyone on a job well done and sent them home. As he headed out the door Benjamin called Alexis; perhaps he could see her tonight.

Alexis picked up on the second ring. They agreed to meet at six, in front of the Atlas at Rockefeller Center. She was to wear comfortable clothing and shoes made for walking. Alexis' smiled, as she informed Benjamin, in a sarcastic tone, all her shoes were _made for walking._ Alexis put on jeans, grabbed a sweater and zipped up her boots. She didn't know what Benjamin had planned, but she was game for an adventure.

CHAPTER 11

Rockefeller Center was buzzing with excitement, the rink was open and families of tourists milled about, anxious to skate around the famous Rockefeller Rink. Alexis had skated that rink hundreds of times with her father. Castle would always acquiesced to a young Alexis by braving the crowds on opening day; she cherished those memories. But tonight, she hoped Ben had something else in mind. She wanted to get to know him, and skating was not conducive to conversation. Perhaps the fact he selected meeting by Atlas and not the rink was a good indication. As her cab turned the corner she looked at her phone, five thirty-five.

He exited the Rockefeller Center subway station at five-forty with plenty of time to walk to Atlas. The commonly congested tourist area was busier than usual, then he remembered, the rink was open. He hoped Alexis didn't want to go ice skating. Although in New York almost eight years, he was still a Floridian; ice skating was not his strong suit.

She was seated at Atlases feet, she saw him approaching and stood, "Been waiting long?" he asked. "Just a few minutes." The sun was starting to set, and the temperature was getting cooler, otherwise he would swear this woman made him shiver. Her hand felt natural in his, she teased him about his rookie mistake of meeting by Rockefeller Center during this time of year, as they jostled for sidewalk space with the crowd.

The conversation flowed as they walked, he told her about the investigation and confessed he was nervous about Edgewater. She assured him they would soon have him in custody, but he admitted he would breathe a sigh of relieve after Edgewater was on U.S. soil and in handcuffs. They approached the ice rink, where Ben assured her ice skating was not on the agenda. Something about the way he emphasized _ice skating_ made her giggle. "You don't skate, do you?" "I will have you know, that I can wear a pair of ice skates like no one else," he replied. "You didn't answer the question, counselor." Alexis laughed out loud, pulling him towards the rink entrance. "Okay, okay, I surrender. I'm rather wobbly. However, in my defense, I'm from South Florida, not exactly the ice skating capital of the world." As she laughed, Alexis reminded him two time, speed skating, Olympic bronze medal winner, Jennifer Rodriguez was from Miami. He humbly declined to comment any further.

They grabbed some sushi at a local restaurant where their conversation took a more personal tone. Benjamin told her about his parents and sisters. He told her about his oldest sister, Lori, a professor at Florida Atlantic University and Meagan, the youngest of his sisters, who was a stay at home mom to his favorite and only nephew, three year old Zackery Taylor Hutchings. "Zackery Taylor?" exclaimed Alexis. "I know, poor kid," added Benjamin. "Unfortunately for young Zack, using the mother's maiden name as a middle name is a family tradition. Meagan's husband was set on naming him Zackery, so…" Benjamin proceeded to add that he and his sisters all shared the same middle name, Elliott. "Lucky for me, my mom's maiden name wasn't Franklin." "So, Ms. Alexis Castle, what's your middle name?" he asked. "I'm pretty sure you know, but its Harper," she shyly added. He hated that she felt he had hidden information about her. This had been the second time she had made such a comment. Benjamin looked at Alexis, and somberly said, "Alexis, I would give anything for us to have met under different circumstances. But truth be told, I wouldn't take back meeting you for anything. Please believe me, aside from your class schedule, your name, and address, I have nothing else. I found out your name while I was sitting in the interrogation room with Captain Beckett. I didn't know your middle name was Harper… I think it's beautiful. I want to learn everything about you, but I want to learn it from you." She looked at Benjamin, smiled and extended her hand. He looked at her curiously, as Alexis lifted his hand off the table in handshake fashion. "Alexis Harper Castle, pleasure to meet you." Hesitantly Benjamin replied, "Benjamin Elliot Taylor, the pleasure is all mine."

As they sat in the cab, Alexis saw a whimsical look on Benjamin's face. She was delighted when their cab approached the New York City College of Technology. They had one of the best haunted houses in the state; Gravesend Inn Haunted House! He had promised her an adventure and he was going to deliver.

Alexis had an amazing time, taking advantage of all the spooky happenings to hold on to Ben. It could not have made Benjamin Taylor any happier. They walked among the crowd, all brave souls, now laughing at what had just minutes before made them shriek with fear. With their arms comfortably around each other's waist, Benjamin stopped, turned, and for the first time kissed her long and hard. "Wow…" it escaped his lips in a hush. Alexis reached up and softly touched her lips, they were still warm. Ben's kiss had seared through her with the promises and hopes of all first kisses. They continued to walk towards Jay Street to hail a cab, holding hands in a pleasing silence.

As they headed back to SoHo Benjamin had one last surprise; it was eleven o'clock; they had just enough time. "484 Broome Street" he told the driver. He then turned and kissed her again. A quote from the movie Bull Durham kept playing in Alexis' head, _"I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days"_ she wondered how far the cab could get in three days. Thirty minutes later they were pulling up to MarieBelle, a premier chocolatier just blocks away from the loft. The place was elegant and Versailles like in it décor. They found a quiet table among the chandelier's and mirrors and ordered two Aztec hot chocolates.

"How'd you fine this place?" asked Alexis. "I googled, _best hot chocolate in New York City_. This was in the top ten. I'm guessing you've been here before?" 'Yes. Here and Serendipity; they're my _go to_ places for a fancy hot chocolate fix." She smiled at him and thanked him for the gesture. The place closed at mid-night, and the staff was not all too pleased when customer's waltzed in at eleven thirty. Their order was promptly delivered in fancy gold rimed, china cups. Benjamin promised their next date would not include haunted houses, carnivals or hot chocolate. Alexis confessed she had had a wonderful time, and was rather fond of haunted houses, carnivals and hot chocolate. They finished their drinks and walked towards the loft.

Tonight there was no fumbling of keys or awkward good night. He gathered a lose strand of her auburn hair, tucking it behind her ear, and leaned down to meet her lips. The kiss was soft, and deep, but long and wistful. "Talk to you tomorrow?" he quietly asked, still holding her close. She gave him a peck on the lip and added "talk to you tomorrow." As he exited onto Broome Street, Benjamin Taylor had only one regret; the evening had been too short.

CHAPTER 12

What the hell was that noise! Wrestled out of a sound sleep, Benjamin reached for his telephone to look at the time, four thirty two. He shook the daze out of his head to read the alert message that had woken him up. It was from Lufthansa, **"Due to unforeseen circumstances Flt 1415 departing Zagreb to Frankfurt has been cancelled. Please contact you travel professional for assistance."** Shit! Edgewater!

Benjamin was dressed and out the door in ten minutes flat. As he hit Webster Avenue he realized he needed to call someone. He called Esposito, but after the third try, accepted Esposito was not going to answer. He only had office numbers for Ryan and Captain Beckett, so he called the precinct and had the desk sergeant relay a message to Detective Ryan to urgently call him back. It was a quarter to five… he debated, but soon dialed Alexis' number. On the fifth ring a very groggy Alexis answered. "I'm so, so, sorry to wake you, if it weren't an emergency…" he was cut short by Alexis, "Ben?" "I need to talk to Captain Beckett, I don't have her cell number and it's an emergency." Alexis, pulled off her covers, and started downstairs, "Are you okay?" she meekly asked. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just need to talk to Captain Beckett." "Hold on" she said, as she reached Kate and her dad's room and knocked. She knocked a second time, this time calling out to Kate.

Kate stumbled out of bed, grabbed her robe and opened the door. "Alexis? What's wrong?" Still encumbered by sleep, it took a second for Kate to react to Alexis handing her a phone. "Beckett" she answered. Benjamin rambled on, explaining the notice he had received from Lufthansa, he apologized for waking her up, but he had been unable to reach Esposito, all said in one breath. Unaccustomed to working with fast paced, ever changing dynamics, Benjamin was at a loss. Beckett directed Benjamin to take a breath and meet her at the precinct, she would call the boys. Benjamin, who was still standing outside his building, sprinted towards the subway.

By six a.m. the hurried pace of chaos was evident in the bullpen. Esposito had apologized to Benjamin and Beckett for having forgotten to turn on the ringer on his phone after the movies. Beckett had reached Esposito at Lanie's. Ryan was already heading out the door when Beckett called. The desk sergeant had reached him and he had already spoken to Taylor.

Benjamin knocked on Beckett's door requesting to talk with her. He felt responsible for losing Edgewater and advised Beckett he would understand if she wanted him gone. Beckett took one look at Taylor and had him sit. "This is no one's fault. Flight's get canceled all the time, we have no control. Edgewater has no idea we know he murdered Randall. I trust you know this man, I'm confident you are right, and he will come back; all we have to do is find the new flight. Now go to work."

At nine a.m. Castle sashayed into the bullpen carrying boxes of bagels, donuts and muffins. He walked over to Beckett, placing a kiss on the top of her head, and handed her, her tall, skinny latte, vanilla, with two pumps and no sugar. He took his coffee and the other cup and walked towards Benjamin. Benjamin looked up as Castle handed him the cup, adding, "I was instructed to give you this." Benjamin took a sip and smiled; hot chocolate.

Everyone was checking flight manifests for Saturday and Sunday. Between the number of connecting flights, the possibilities were endless. A few minutes after one in the afternoon, Ryan yelled, "Bingo! Got him." You could feel the collective sigh in the room. "We gotta move. Captain, he's arriving on Austrian Air flight 87, TODAY. It lands at one fifty-five, and it's on time." Beckett grabbed her jacket, as she and Castle followed Ryan, Espo and Taylor onto the elevator. "We don't have time to set up a team; I think it's best if it's just us" offered Esposito. "It's your case detective. I'm only along for the ride," replied Beckett.

They would be cutting it close. The drive from the precinct to JFK, on a good day, was forty-five minutes. They were "balls to the walls" lights and sirens. Ryan continued to monitor the arrival time, while Benjamin contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), if Edgewater made it to them first, they needed him delayed. Espo had instructed Tori to email blast Edgewater's picture to NYPD Airport and ICE, with instructions not to apprehend unless otherwise notified.

CHAPTER 13

The cancelation had been a godsend, he was lucky to have gotten the last open seat on the Austrian Airlines flight out of Vienna. He'd get home a day early, catch up on the news and relax. Monday he would go into the office, report on the meetings, and request a few days of well earned rest. By the time they figured out he was gone, he and the money would be in Belarus. He had deserved a larger share; Randall was cheating him. Randall thought he was so smart, he had caught onto him early. Blackmailing Randall into a partnership was as easy as taking candy from a baby; he demanded thirty percent or he would turn him in. The funds were transferred into several off-shore accounts in small amounts, he used real client's accounts, then deleted the transaction. No one was the wiser. But Randall had gotten greedy, here he was taking the real risk and Randall refused to give him an even split. They'd argued and when Randall told him he was cutting him off completely… Well, let's just say he was happy with one hundred percent.

There was a long line for Immigration, but lucky for him he had Global Reentry, a swipe, his prints and off he went. Now, suitcase in hand he headed towards Customs. "Good afternoon sir," greeted the young Customs Officer. "Can you tell me where you've traveled to?" An older Customs Officer approached Edgewater and thanked him for his patience and cooperation, as the young officer was training. After what seemed like an endless number of stupid questions and a needless search of his bag, Edgewater was given the all clear and allowed to proceed.

They were positioned outside the International Arrivals Customs door. Esposito was the first to spot Edgewater. Surrounded by too many people, they followed as he made his way to the concourse. Just as Edgewater was headed towards the exit they made their move, "NYPD!" Then, out of the corner of his eye, Ryan saw a side door open, and a guard exiting unto the unknown chaos. Edgewater made a move, grabbed the guard's gun and fired. When the commotion was over, Edgewater was on the floor being handcuffed by Esposito. Esposito had managed to tackled Edgewater from his blindside, and after a few, well delivered punches, had subdued him and retrieved the gun.

After checking Edgewater, they all managed to relax. Ryan walked up to Taylor and said "Well, how's it feel to nab your first perp?" Benjamin, looked at Ryan but did not respond. Ryan looked at Taylor, mockingly adding "Don't tell me you're gonna faint?" barely getting the words out, as Benjamin hit the ground. Ryan bent over Taylor, ready to laugh, until he noticed the pool of blood seeping through the right side of his light blue shirt.

The JFK Airport paramedics responded immediately. Amidst a frenzy of activity, they managed to provide what little information they had on Benjamin Taylor. Taylor had not regained consciousness, and the paramedics feared extensive internal damage. They would airlift him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, the nearest Trauma 1 medical facility. Esposito refused to leave Taylors side, he would ride with him to the hospital. Units would transport Edgewater to the precinct and keep him in holding. Beckett would have to make several calls; among them Ferguson.

Ferguson was not happy to be bother on his day off. He debated answering Captain Beckett's call, but had already been strongly advised to cooperate. Beckett relayed all the details has she knew them, Taylor was on his way to Jamaica Medical, he had been shot and was unconscious; his emergency contacts should be notified. "The kid's family lives out of state; I will have the office contact them" said Ferguson. Beckett was livid, how could he delegate calling Taylor's family to some clerk? Beckett asked if he would allow her to contact his family; after all, he had been working for her when he was shot. Ferguson contacted the office and had then email her all of Taylors information. "Let me know how the kid's doing. I'm sure the less people there the better." With that Ferguson hung-up and continued his tennis game. Beckett knew she had one other notification to make, one she really did not relish.

Castle walked over to Beckett who was now seated behind the ICE supervisor's desk. "We need to call Alexis, I think she needs to hear this from us." Benjamin and Alexis had been out a few times, even if just friends, this was news she needed to know. "Should I go home and talk to her?" asked Castle. They both knew by the time he made it to the loft and back to Jamaica it would be close to two hours. Beckett picked up the phone and called Detective Karpowski. She could pick up Alexis and drive her to the hospital.

Karpowski called Beckett ten minutes later. Beckett dialed Alexis' number, trying to find the words. "Hey, Kate." Kate took a deep breath and said "Sweetie, I need you to go to the front door and let Detective Karpowski in." Alexis walked to the front door, saw Karpowski, and somberly, in a whispered tone asked "Is dad okay?" "Oh, sweetie, he's fine, he's right here. I'll let you talk to him in a minute. It's Ben…" Kate could hear the clatter of the phone as it fell to the floor. "Alexis? Alexis!" Karpowski grabbed Alexis before her knees buckled and walked her over to the couch. Kate explained Benjamin had been shot and had been airlifted to Jamaica Medical. Detective Karpowski was there to drive her to the hospital if she wanted to go. Delivering bad news was never easy and today she had to repeat the message. The next call would be harder. Calling a parent to let them know their child was hurt, and there's nothing they could do, was heart wrenching.

They were out by the pool when the phone rang. "Are you ever gonna get rid of your landline?" asked Lori Taylor. Paul Taylor was a creature of habit and he liked his land line telephone. It was probably a tele-marketer, but what the hell, "Taylor residence." Paul Taylor listened, as Captain Katherine Beckett delivered news he never expected to receive; his son Benjamin had been shot in the line of duty. Benjamin worked for the SEC for god sake, a bad paper-cut perhaps, shot? Captain Beckett apologized for the lack of information, but provided what few details she had. Currently he was at a trauma 1 level center, the last reports were that he was unconscious, critical and they were trying to stabilize him. She assured him everything possible was being done and that she would continue to update them as she received information. Within twenty minutes Paul Taylor was advising Captain Beckett he and his wife would be arriving at LaGuardia, at nine twenty that evening. Beckett assured him there would be an escort waiting to transport them to the hospital.

Karpowski pulled into the emergency room parking lot with Alexis in tow. It had been a long drive, and Alexis Castle had said absolutely nothing for thirty-five minutes. Karpowski exited her vehicle and called Beckett. "Hey Beckett, we're in the ER parking lot. She won't get out of the car." Beckett made a beeline for the parking lot, with Castle not too far behind. "Castle, let me talk to her," pled Beckett. Castle knew there was nothing he could say to alieve Alexis' worries. Beckett was excellent at establishing empathy with victims. She loved Alexis, she would take care of his baby girl. Kate walked over to the car, opened the passenger door, kneeled and touched Alexis' shoulder. "Sweetie, are you alright?" Alexis looked at Kate with tear filled eyes. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do? What do I do?" "We can start by going inside."

They had been moved to a private waiting area, it overflowed with officers from the 12th and several of Benjamin's friends from the SEC. Noticeably absent was Ferguson. Alexis hugged Castle; she needed the reassurance only her dad could provide; she took a seat, not letting him go. "What happened daddy? We have a date tomorrow night. Who shot him? Why?" Castle threw his arms around his now crying daughter, all he could do was hold her.

They had been waiting over four hours. It was close to seven-thirty when the doctor entered. "Family of Benjamin Taylor?" Everyone in the waiting room stood. Captain Beckett approached the doctor and introduced herself, she was acting on behalf of the Taylor family who were in route from Florida. Becket walked to the far end of the room and took a seat. Doctor Marcus Johnson proceeded to explain, in detail, the extent of Benjamin's injuries.

Benjamin had suffered a single gunshot wound to the lower, right quadrant. The bullet had damaged the cystic duct, gallbladder and nicked the lower right part of his liver. They had had a tough time finding several bleeding vessels, but had determined the extent of the damage after two CT scans. They had removed his gallbladder, ligated the cystic duct and repaired several minor bleeding vessels in the liver. Benjamin was in recovery and would be moved to the Intensive Care Unit, within the next few hours. "He's a very lucky young man. We will monitor him for the next seven to ten days. We needed to administer blood transfusions, as his blood loss was significant. He also has a bruised lung, which we will monitor closely, as there is a potential for pneumonia. There's also a small fracture to his left wrist, which was most likely a result of his fall. We expect him to make a full recovery, but it will take some time." Doctor Johnson gave Beckett his card and asked she call when Taylor's parents arrived or if they had any questions. Beckett thanked him and assured him, every pint transfused would be returned tenfold by the men and women of the NYPD.

Beckett addressed those waiting and assured them Taylor was out of surgery and though critical, was in stable condition. She told them Taylor had required several transfusions and that a visit to the blood bank would be a perfect way to support him. Within a few minutes, only Castle, Beckett and Alexis remained. Esposito had headed back to the precinct to question Edgewater. Ryan was handling accommodations and a detail for Taylor's family.

Alexis had refused to leave. She was now asleep with her head on Castles lap. As Castle played with his daughter's hair, he could not help but recall all the times she had fallen asleep using his lap as a pillow. His little girl wasn't so little anymore. Beckett bent down, softly kissing a very weary looking Castle on the lips. She could tell he hurt for Alexis, and there was nothing she could do.

It was nine o'clock when a nurse wondered into the waiting room. "Is there an Alexis here?" Alexis, jumped in startled surprise, walking towards the nurse. "Mr. Taylor has been asking for you, he's been in ICU for all of twenty minutes and would not be still until I promised to check if you were here. Follow me; he needs to be still, he's going to tear his incisions." Alexis, looked at Kate and Castle, mouthed "thank you" and followed the nurse.

Seeing Ben attached to so many tubes and wires took her breath away. He was pale and his normally messy hair looked matted and grimy. He had dried blood in his fingernails, and yet he had never looked so good. She timidly walked into the small cubical that mascaraed as a room. He knew she was there before he saw her. Alexis bent down, and gingerly placed a kiss on Ben's forehead. Benjamin opened his eyes, looked at Alexis, and smiled, "Hey," he whispered in a horsed tone. "Hey," she replied, tears glistening her eyes. She sat on the single chair located to his right, and took his hand. Benjamin closed his eyes and slept.

CHAPTER 14

Ryan had notified LaGuardia, and had personally greeted Benjamin's parents at the gate. He was able to update them with the good news. Benjamin was in ICU, but the prognosis was excellent. It was a ten minute drive to the hospital where Beckett and Castle introduced themselves to an anxious, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor. Beckett updated them on Benjamin's condition and provided the details Doctor Johnson had provided her. A few minutes later they were escorted to the ICU. As they entered Benjamin's room, they saw a sleeping Benjamin, holding hands with a sleeping Alexis. Castle and Beckett waited outside, seeing the badge attached to Beckett's belt garnered certain liberties, and a group of five in an ICU room was one of them.

Alexis stirred, getting up when she noticed the strangers enter Ben's room. The older woman was comfortably but elegantly dressed, she had tears in her eyes and slowly walked towards Ben. These must be Ben's parents, she thought; she should leave, after all she was no body, just a girl he'd been out with a few times. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, I was just leaving," she softly said. Mr. Taylor approached Alexis, hugged her and added, "You must be Alexis; thank you." Alexis smiled, and walked away.

The first few days were rough. Ben was in a lot of pain, still in ICU and mostly sleeping. His parents had been assigned an NYPD officer that provide transportation wherever they needed to go. Lanie had shown up with a bag containing a change of cloth and toiletries for Alexis, who continued to refused to leave. Castle had finally made reservations at the Crown Plaza, just two miles down the road. Beckett needed to return to the precinct, but he and Alexis had stayed nearby.

Visiting ICU was difficult, at times, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor along with Alexis were relegated to the waiting room. They had exchanged pleasantries, and Alexis had only gone into Ben's room when he asked to see her. His parent's would take those opportunities to get something to eat or get coffee. Ben was healing, but still had difficulties breathing, any deep breath cause excruciating pain. The greater part of the day he still spent asleep.

Alexis was in the waiting room when Mr. and Mrs. Taylor appeared; apparently having been kicked out of ICU. For the first time in four days they sat down and talked. Mr. Taylor had told Alexis how Ben's sister, Lori, had warned them to not panic if they saw a pretty redhead by his side. Benjamin seldom mentioned his friends to them, but he and Lori were thick as thieves and shared all their secrets. Benjamin had told Lori all about Alexis, however, Mr. Taylor admitted they were at a disadvantage, as all they knew was that Ben had a "beautiful, redheaded girlfriend." Alexis blushed and thanked Mr. Taylor but explained that she and Ben had only been out on a few dates, and she was just a friend. Mrs. Taylor, who till than had been silent, chimed in, "Alexis, you've been here since day one; you refuse to go home and had it not been for us, I believe you would not have left my sons side. The boy is in excruciating pain, recovering from a gunshot wound and major surgery and the only person he asks to see is you. Trust me sweetheart, you're his girlfriend." For the first time in as many days, they all had a good laugh.

Eleven days after being shot, Benjamin Taylor was released from the hospital. To no one's surprise Castle had arranged for a limo to transport Benjamin and his parents to his apartment in the Bronx. Benjamin settled in, thanking his lucky stars his building had an elevator. He was still weak and although ambulatory, ran out of breath quickly. However, he knew he was a lucky man. Alexis had promised to join them for dinner later that night. His mother was cooking Ben's favorite, Cuban food; one of the things he mostly missed from home.

At seven thirty the car service pulled up in front of Benjamin's building. Alexis knocked on the door and was happy to be greeted with a kiss from Ben. She pulled back and said, "Seriously? You live above a police supply store?" Benjamin laughed, pulled her towards him and kissed her again. Two days later Mr. and Mrs. Taylor flew back to Florida, confident they had left their son in good hands.

Three weeks after being released from the hospital, Benjamin Taylor received a clean bill of health from his doctors and the combat cross award from the NYPD. Alexis was at his side for both. They had decided on celebrating with a special evening, just the two of them. Benjamin had ordered Alexi's favorite Chinese food and had bought a nice bottle of wine, recommended by Captain Beckett, who he now called Kate. He had been permanently assigned to the NYPD's financial crimes unit as a liaison officer, and although no longer at the 12th, he could not have been happier. Ferguson had been transferred to the Records Retention Center in Long Island; karma was a bitch. Edgewater had pled guilty, avoiding a trial after a threat of Federal terrorism charges, which Beckett and Esposito had promised to file if he did not cooperate.

Alexis arrived at seven-thirty, he grabbed her and profoundly kissed her. His lung was still healing, but nothing would prevent him from kissing her tonight. They made their way to the couch, where they continued the kiss. Benjamin left her for a moment but quickly returned with two glasses of wine. As he walked around the couch he almost tripped over Alexis' bag. "That's one big purse" he said "Sure is…" she answered with a wicked glint in her eyes. "You keep kissing me and saying your only mortal" she guffawed at him. Benjamin handed her the wine as she stood to meet him. He looked at her deep blue eyes, which still took his breath away. He kissed her; _**long, slow, deep, soft wet kisses…**_

Alexis looked at Benjamin and whispered, "In the immortal words of Eduardo Galeano, _We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine_."

The End


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